Those old Dos Equis beer commercials featuring the fictional “most interesting man in the world” were catchy and hilarious. The suave, bearded protagonist reflected a serene wisdom born from quiet intelligence and outsize deeds.

In 2017, our Boat of the Year team had our first exposure to Xquisite Yachts, and the seasoned voyager and visionary who’d launched the brand with the X5, which was named that year’s Most Innovative Sailboat. Back then, I was joshing a bit when I referenced those beer ads, talking about Xquisite’s brash founder. But after 2022, when the reworked 53-foot X5 Plus was named Best Cruising Catamaran Over 50 Feet, and again after inspecting the Xquisite Sixty Solar Sail for our 2025 Boat of the Year contest, I’m not kidding anymore. Tamas Hamor might just be the most interesting man in the marine industry. 

“I like to solve problems,” he told us, which seemed to sum him up well.

Because of logistical challenges ahead of this year’s ­contest, the Sixty was late arriving to the Annapolis Sailboat Show in Maryland. The boat was still being prepped when we inspected and sailed it, so we didn’t get to put all its tech to a thorough test, something judge Tim Murphy alluded to in his notes: “The Sixty Solar Sail comes from an impressive company that we BOTY judges have watched grow from almost nothing in the past eight years. We’ve been particularly impressed by the service regime that creator Tamas Hamor has established among Xquisite owners; it’s adapted for true worldwide travel and maintenance. In the Sixty, Hamor his taken his explosive creativity to new levels in detail after detail. In this Hull No. 1, we found that his ideas sometimes seemed one step ahead of the available technology. But keep an eye on this boat and this builder—new and impressive things are happening here that we’re sure will trickle through the fleets of boats from other builders.”

All that said, stepping aboard the Bill Dixon-designed Sixty Solar with wide eyes was like entering some sort of otherworldly, waterborne version of The Matrix. In Annapolis this past October, there was simply nothing else remotely like it. 

It starts with the aesthetics. When we had our first gander at that original X5, I got a chuckle when a judging panelist said that the boat’s profile reminded him of a Nike basketball sneaker—all white and rounded, with massive freeboard, and black windows and accents that looked like a shoe’s markings. (He wasn’t wrong.) Perhaps it’s the extra waterline length, but the Sixty has shed any semblance of awkwardness. It has the sleek, streamlined, contemporary appearance of a nautical Starship Enterprise. 

The reverse bows and integral sprit give the forward entry a powerful, purposeful mien. A long, slashing window in the topside pairs nicely with an ­arrow-shaped window in the low-slung, streamlined coachroof, which is further accented by the black, hydraulic, carbon-­fiber “Park Avenue” boom and spar above it. The generous raised steering station, to starboard, has its own windshield and is adjacent to a sweet upper-­deck lounge, both accessed via a spiral staircase from the cockpit (it opens into the main salon, creating a seamless indoor/­outdoor floor plan with the doors opened).

The roomy cockpit is covered and protected by a hard Bimini top. Just abaft that, a sloping, beam-width arch from port to starboard hovers over the entire shooting match, and serves as the station for one of the boat’s four separate banks of solar arrays (there are almost 40 individual panels altogether). Aft, an optional hydraulic boarding platform doubles as a sort of back porch, and is flanked in the hulls by two sets of stairs leading from the waterline to the cockpit. Stainless-steel handrails running the length of the boat are a nice visual touch and offer extra security. To say there’s a lot going on is an understatement. 

The 7 kW package of solar panels, 60kWh lithium battery bank and 48-volt electrical system are designed to cover all house loads at anchor, including air conditioning, which negates the need for an onboard diesel generator. For ­propulsion, the Sixty has an optional hybrid setup with a pair of 110 hp Yanmar diesel engines with sail drives, and a set of 15 kW electric motors/generators that can run in regeneration mode under sail or propel the boat under power for extended stints before the ­diesels kick in to drive the boat and the high-output alternators.

The vacuum-infused foam-core laminate incorporates ­vinylester resin throughout and is laid up by hand above the waterline. Tankage is stashed under raised soles in the hulls, which have the added benefit of widening the volume in the staterooms. The grand owner’s hull, to port, has a king-size berth; a lounging area with a couch and desk; loads of stowage; and an en suite head and shower forward. A pair of guest staterooms with athwartships berths and attached heads are to starboard.

The main salon has a dining table that converts to a coffee table or a berth. There’s a 50-inch smart TV, and a galley with a full-size fridge, a convection stovetop and an oven. There’s also a cooking station in the cockpit, as well as a locker for stowing paddleboards. Under the cockpit stairs is a compartment for scuba tanks and a compressor. 

Throughout the boat, ­electric hatches can open for ­natural ventilation. And with the Sixty’s digital-switching system, owners can monitor batteries, charging rates and tankage levels from a laptop computer. They can even transfer fuel, and can access digital manuals that cover all gear, maintenance and systems.

For all its complexity, though, the Sixty is still a sailboat, and Hamor is mindful of building one that can be operated by a couple; after all, that’s how he and his wife got started. On a boat as powerful as the Sixty, this thinking means an electric traveler and furlers for the square-topped North Sails main, genoa, self-tacking jib (which doubles as a storm sail) and code 65 headsail; a hydraulic vang; and several cameras that provide visuals of all maneuvers from the helm station.

We sailed the boat on a moderate Chesapeake Bay afternoon in breeze hovering around 8 to 12 knots with a small army of workers and technicians who were sorting out the boat (the Sixty might be set up ideally for a couple, but it will accommodate a crowd). We started off with the big code sail on a beam reach and effortlessly glided along at just over 10 knots. Switching down to the genoa, we sheeted in everything and still clocked a respectable 7-plus knots. On the Sixty, it was clear that making rapid miles will never be an issue. 

Like the chap in that suds ad who didn’t always drink beer, the owners of Xquisite Yachts might not always be cruising to far-flung destinations across long stretches of blue water. But when they do, they will set sail in one of the most innovative, interesting catamarans ­traversing any ocean.

CW Editor-at-Large Herb McCormick was a 2025 Boat of the Year judge.

Take the Next Step

PRICE: $3.6 million (as tested)
Website:  xquisiteyachts.com 

From Adversity to Innovation: How a Lost Rig Sparked a Global Boatbuilding Brand

Appropriately enough, Tamas Hamor’s personal journey of running a boatbuilding enterprise began aboard a cruising boat. Hamor and his wife, Sara, were crossing the Pacific aboard their Leopard cat when they were dismasted off French Polynesia. They stepped a new spar and continued on to Australia, where they put the boat up for sale. With their cruising dreams unfulfilled, however, they purchased a new boat from a South African builder, Dean Catamarans, that unfortunately went out of business before its completion. The resilient Hamors got the boat finished, and the team that helped them became the manufacturing and financial foundation for Xquisite. Today, Xquisite’s boats continue to be built in South Africa, which has become one the world’s major exporters of cruising catamarans.

South Africa remains the firm’s manufacturing center (coupled with a brokerage business in Fort Lauderdale, Florida), but for all intents and purposes, Xquisite is now based in the Bahamian city of Freeport, where it runs a full-service marina and resort that charters, commissions, and refits new and used cats with a staff of instructors and technicians. New and prospective owners can test-sail or charter an Xquisite, and there’s a sailing school to bring sailors up to speed on the intricacies of catamaran sailing. To that end, Xquisite commissioned and built a cool 30-foot beach cat—the trailerable, beachable Xquisite 30 Sportcat—for training and instruction.

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If there’s a name making waves in the world of sustainable cruising catamarans, it’s Xquisite Yachts. And with the debut of their new flagship, the Xquisite 60 Solar Sail, the brand is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in luxury liveaboard sailing—without compromising performance or the environment.

I had the pleasure of touring the 60 Solar Sail with Tamas Hamor, founder and CEO of Xquisite Yachts, whose insights come not just from the drawing board, but from 11 years circumnavigating the globe as a full-time cruiser. That real-world experience is embedded in every curve, circuit, and solar cell of this next-generation sailing cat.

Built by Cruisers, for Cruisers

“What makes us different is that we didn’t just design boats—we lived on them,” Hamor tells me from the shaded flybridge. That philosophy drives Xquisite’s hybrid approach: a fast, long-range sailing vessel that integrates yacht-level luxury with serious liveaboard practicality.

One standout feature is the boat’s hydrodynamic efficiency. By stretching the hulls to 60 feet while keeping a similar interior layout to their 50-foot models, Xquisite improved speed and ride quality without adding bulk. “Longer waterline means more speed, and we’ve tuned every dimension for optimal performance,” Hamor explains.

Solar-Powered Independence

At first glance, the top deck resembles a floating power station—and that’s the point. The 60 Solar Sail houses up to 7kW of solar panels, feeding a 60kWh lithium battery bank. This powers a 48V electric motor in a parallel hybrid system. Combined, these features allow cruisers to run critical systems—air conditioning, watermakers, refrigeration, and even electric cooking—without ever firing up the generator.

“In real-world cruising, energy is never enough. So we built around it,” Hamor says. The result? Freedom to roam, stay at anchor longer, and sail sustainably with less reliance on fossil fuels.

Singlehanded Control, Serious Performance

Xquisite partnered with Dixon Yacht Design to ensure the boat sails as well as it looks. The helm station is a command center, fully operable by one person thanks to hydraulic in-boom furling, self-tacking sails, and electric winches. “Even in 30 knots, you can reef, tack, or furl from a protected position—inside or out,” says Hamor.

In fact, in heavy weather, the entire cockpit can be enclosed, turning it into a safe continuation of the salon. And for truly nasty days, there’s an indoor nav station with full visibility, letting the skipper sail from the warmth and security of the interior.

Luxury That Feels Like Home

Make no mistake—this is a luxury vessel. The full-beam master suite runs the length of one pontoon and includes a king-size walk-around bed, walk-in wardrobe, and a laundry room. To maintain a normal bed height, Xquisite raised the floor slightly above the bridge deck—an elegant solution to a common catamaran challenge.

But what really sets the Xquisite 60 apart is how light and air flow through the space. Every hull window includes an opening porthole, enabling cross-ventilation throughout. Massive windows, light wood finishes, and minimalist design create a bright, open feel.

And it’s all customizable. “Clients can change materials, layouts—even turn a cabin into an office or workshop,” Hamor says. That flexibility caters directly to long-term cruisers looking to personalize their floating home.

Final Thoughts

For those seeking a sailboat that combines environmental innovation, self-sufficiency, and luxury bluewater capability, the Xquisite 60 Solar Sail sets a new standard. It’s a yacht born not just from engineering but from experience—refined by the sea and reimagined for the future.

Xquisite Yachts has made it clear: the future of cruising is green, gorgeous, and incredibly capable.

For more information, visit XquisiteYachts.com.

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Packed with solar panels and lithium batteries, powered by a hybrid system that incorporates diesel engines and electric drive/power generators, and fitted out with a versatile and powerful sail plan, the Xquisite Sixty Solar Sail catamaran is intended to be a long-range cruiser that a self-reliant couple can handle on their own and liveaboard for extended periods.

At anchor, the boat’s 7 kilowatts worth of solar panels, 60-kilowatt lithium battery bank and 48-volt electrical system will cover house loads, including air conditioning, eliminating the need for an onboard generator. Under sail, its electric motors, mounted between twin Yanmar 110 hp diesel engines and their saildrives, can run in regeneration mode to replenish the batteries or, when powering, propel the boat for extended periods before the diesels take over to drive both the boat and high-output alternators.

Like earlier 54-foot models, the Sixty Solar Sail reflects the voyaging experience of the company’s founders, Tamas Hamor and Sara Hajdu, who circumnavigated together aboard multihulls before acquiring and finishing construction of a catamaran in South Africa that launched their new company, Xquisite Yachts, and made its American debut with the original Xquisite X5 at the Annapolis boat show in 2016.

Having sailed as a shorthanded crew who maintained their boats themselves, the Xquisite team puts an emphasis on access to critical gear, such as shaft seals, pumps and steering components. Digital manuals, developed in-house, are extensive and cover parts, repairs and maintenance. And as importantly, an emphasis is put on sail handling that’s manageable for a couple, where one partner is often alone on watch.

At the deck-level helm station, protected by a windshield and overhead Bimini, all sail control lines run to a pair of electric winches mounted on each side of the wheel. The square-top, in-boom-furling, full-batten main can be set or reduced in size easily at the touch of a button, and the skipper can match headsail to conditions by choosing to fly a self-tacking jib, genoa or code sail, all set on electric furlers. A carbon-fiber mast and boom also contribute to smooth sailing by reducing weight aloft.

Designed by Bill Dixon of Dixon Yacht Design, the Sixty Solar is a big boat. Seen at the dock, it towers above other similar-size catamarans because in order to present narrow hulls at the waterline for proper sailing performance—and still have interior room to allow for walk-around athwartships king-size berths aft—the cabin soles are elevated to take advantage of increased beam as the hulls flare approaching the bridge deck. 

But to be clear, the Sixty Solar is still a cruising catamaran, loaded with creature comforts and plenty of room for belongings, provisions and toys. 

Let’s start with the toys. A carbon-fiber crane on the transom takes the work out of launching and retrieving a tender, while an optional hydraulic swim platform between the hulls makes it a snap to lift up to three paddleboards and move them into a dedicated storage locker under a seat that spans the transom. The seat also incorporates a large grill and sink. Under the starboard cockpit stairs, there’s another compartment designed to hold scuba tanks and a compressor.

The cockpit features a table for dining alfresco and plenty of space to lounge in the shade. Just forward, a glass door slides open into the salon. Step inside, and tasteful and practical living spaces await. A large opening centerline electric hatch forward provides a lot of natural ventilation, as do four overhead hatches. A dining table in the forward starboard corner converts to a coffee table or can lower farther to create a large bed—a perfect spot to enjoy movies on the 50-inch smart television. The well-equipped galley includes an island counter, electric cooktop and oven, and a house-size fridge.

In the port hull, the owner’s suite is truly spacious. There’s the aforementioned king-size berth aft, a sitting area with a couch and desk amidships, loads of closet space, and a head and shower forward. Two guest cabins, both with athwartships bunks and en suite heads and showers, are to starboard. During the day, both hulls bathe in light from multiple ports.

Wide side decks, ample handholds, and solid stainless-steel life rails running bow to stern topsides are all additional signs that the Sixty Solar is built to be a comfortable and safe passagemaker, one that will leave a little less of a carbon trail in its wake.

For more information about the Xquisite Sixty visit xquisiteyachts.com/60-solar-sail-yacht/.

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Two hulls are better than one: Well, that’s the consensus of the growing number of sailors and charterers who opt for the ever-expanding universe of cruising and racing catamarans. But are three hulls better than two? That was the question posed by this trio of no-holds-barred multihulls, which included the fleet’s sole trimaran, the Neel 52. 

On massive platforms like these, the options and possibilities are almost endless, and all three of these boats were true marvels of ingenuity, technology and innovation. Of course, with sticker prices ranging from $1.5 million to $4 million, they well should be. At the end of the day, however, this triumvirate also offered excellent sailing. As far as the question of cat versus tri, at least for 2025, the judges made a firm choice.

WINNER: Neel 52
Neel-Trimarans

With five boats now in the growing lineup of Neel trimarans, judge Herb McCormick remembers how it all began. “Eric Neel was the whiz-kid head honcho at Fountaine Pajot when he left the world of production catamarans to launch his own company specializing in cruising trimarans,” McCormick said. “He was a solo offshore racer who competed in events such as the Route du Rhum, so performance was truly paramount. But production tris? Other than sport boats, nobody was building tris for cruisers. But he was a visionary and saw a void in the marketplace that demanded to be filled. His first 43-footer was cool, and I remember driving it for the first time: smooth as silk, with amazing visibility. It was clear that he was onto something. Neel is no longer with the company, but this sweet 52-footer is a fully formed extension of his original foresight. You really have to sail a tri to understand the differences from a cat: the motion, the stability, the overall ride. And this boat, under sail, really delivered the goods. The accommodations are sweet, and the systems sophisticated but straightforward. It’s the logical evolution of an iconic company.” 

Judge Mark Pillsbury gave a more granular assessment: “Owners don’t just get their own stateroom aboard the Neel 52 trimaran. They get a two-story suite with a head, shower and private office located aft in the starboard float, and a stunning view from the berth located on the bridge deck. The living space on this boat is tremendous. I could have spent the better part of a day going through the Neel’s engine room. Every wire and hose were clearly labeled and easily accessible. There was even a bank of chargers for all your onboard power-tool batteries. Wow.”

Finalist: Windelo 54 Yachting
Windelo Catamaran

“In the past few years of our Boat of the Year inspections and sea trials, it has seemed like there are fewer and fewer differences between the various nominees,” judge Tim Murphy said. “So, stepping aboard the Windelo, it was refreshing to see all sorts of new thinking in terms of building materials, layout and propulsion. The forward cockpit was a new take on a trend popular with some high-end cats. The hybrid diesel-electric motors and electrical system were innovative, and the move to build the boat using basalt fibers rather than fiberglass was definitely out-of-the-box thinking. Berths in the aft cabins were surrounded by glass. Underway, the water views are fantastic, and at anchor, the living space is filled with light. What’s not to like about that?” 

Herb McCormick added: “I really didn’t know how I felt about the Windelo when I first stepped aboard it. Not one but two steering stations in the interior. I’ve sailed many a big cat like a Gunboat with an interior helm in the salon, but never a pair of them. But once the dockside inspections were over and we hoisted sail, I was thoroughly impressed. It seems that happens every year in the Boat of the Year contest. Suddenly those helms made a lot of sense. The same as the sea berth right in the main salon, which is a great idea for offshore sailing: You can get some rest and still be back in the action in a moment’s notice if need be. This is a special boat, and we had no choice but to honor it as such.

Finalist: Xquisite Sixty Solar Sail
Xquisite Yachts

Judge Tim Murphy provided the overview: “The Xquisite Sixty Solar Sail comes from an impressive company that we Boat of the Year judges have watched grow from almost nothing in the past eight years. We’ve previously honored the 50-foot X5 and the X5 Plus from this builder, and we’ve been particularly impressed by the service regime that creator Tamas Hamor has established among Xquisite owners. It’s adapted for true worldwide travel. 

“In the 60, Hamor his taken his explosive creativity to new levels in detail after detail. In Hull No. 1, we found that his ideas were still one step ahead of the available technology. But keep an eye on this boat and this builder—new things are happening here that we’re sure will trickle through the fleets of boats from other builders.”

Mark Pillsbury added: “By design, the Xquisite Sixty Solar Sail is intended for sailors who want to travel and live off the grid. The boat is loaded with solar panels; employs a number of highly efficient systems for air conditioning, cooking and the like; and has a hybrid propulsion system that operates in conjunction with a large bank of lithium batteries. Xquisite is a builder that has employed gear, electronics and connectivity in a way that gives owners the systems needed to manage, maintain and sail a big vessel in conditions and locations that otherwise might not be possible for a shorthanded crew.”

Click here to return to the 2025 Boat of the Year main page.

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Xquisite Yachts, which offers lines of power and sail catamarans, premiered the new flagship of its solar sailing line, the Sixty Solar Sail, at the Annapolis Sailboat Show in October 2024.

Dixon Yacht Design says the goal for the model is “to create the ultimate luxury yacht for cruisers, where performance, safety and innovation blends together, offering unmatched comfort for adventurers who wish to explore our oceans without giving up their comfortable lifestyle.”

To that end, the Sixty Solar Sail has a 60-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, 7 kW of solar panels and style to spare. There are king-size walkaround berths, controls set up for singlehanded sailing and carbon-fiber reinforcements in the build.

Features range from a multizone Fusion Apollo stereo system to a vented washer/dryer, a dishwasher and a wine chiller—all of it in tandem with Fireboy automatic fire extinguishers, CZone functionality and Garmin equipment at the helm.

The Xquisite Sixty Solar Sail is certified CE Category A, which means it is constructed for significant voyages and serious weather. At the same time, this boat is made to feel comfortable from the inside out. The builder offers a choice of styling with packages called Cape Town Classic (anigre wood), Baltic Modern Fresh (silver-gray) and Istanbul Cozy Warm (light oak).

“This is a vessel with the highest sustainability credentials: a large bank of lithium-ion batteries stores solar energy generated by her 38 solar panels integrated into the deck design,” Dixon Yacht Design added.

Xquisite Sixty Solar Sail Specifications

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Astus 20.5

The lineup of feature-­packed new sailboats at this past fall’s Annapolis Sailboat Show included a couple of sporty multihulls that stood out from the crowd, mostly because of what they went without. Rather than boasting plush ­accommodations and elaborate systems, the Astus 20.5 Sport trimaran and the Xquisite 30 Sportcat didn’t have so much as a padded cockpit cushion between them. No flat-screen TV. No air conditioning. No suite of navigation instruments. No fridge or freezer. No en suite head and shower. Zip. Nada. Nuttin’.

What they did have, ­however, was the promise of fun sailing. And with a sleeping bag, a camp stove and a cooler, either boat would be a fine weekender on which to fly across bays or explore skinny water.

The 19-foot-6-inch Astus is built in France and designed by VPLP, the same naval architects who design Lagoon and Excess catamarans, and racing machines such as Banque Populaire XI, Comanche and Groupama 3. With a price tag of $29,500, the Astus was by far the least-expensive sailboat that Cruising World Boat of the Year judges inspected. The builder, Astus Boats, has proa and trimaran models that range from 14 to 26 feet. 

The 20.5’s center hull and amas are vacuum-infused, and the main hull flares out above the waterline to cut down on spray. The floats to either side are attached with tubes that can be retracted or extended and pinned in place. Collapsed, the boat has a beam of 8 feet, 2 inches, making it easily trailerable. Extended, the tri is just under 15 feet wide and quite stable, even with four of us aboard for a test sail on Chesapeake Bay. 

To be honest, the boat was overloaded, but still, it danced right along in an 8- to 10-knot breeze. Tacking upwind with the main and working jib, our GPS speed was 5.2 knots. With the screecher rolled out on its continuous-line furler set on the boat’s aluminum bowsprit, we saw speeds in the high-7-knot range with occasional bursts of 8 or so.

The local Astus dealer from Red Beard Sailing said that the boat, with its mast stepped on a tabernacle on deck, is fairly simple to rig and get into the water from its trailer. With its centerboard up, the boat draws just 10 inches; down, the draft is about 4 feet. For getting to and from the launch ramp or dock, the Astus can handle up to a 6 hp outboard.

The cabin in the center hull has sitting headroom and enough space to escape the weather, or for a couple of people to sleep. There’s space for a portable toilet under a V-berth. Other than that, accommodations are minimal—and that’s point. The Astus is intended to be a speedy little machine to enjoy on your favorite body of water and then be taken home and stored in the yard.

Astus 20.5 Sport Specifications

Xquisite 30 Sportcat

The Xquisite 30 Sportcat has just about equally spartan creature comforts, though in two slightly more spacious hulls, thanks to a length overall of 30 feet, 4 inches. At first glance, the boat is somewhat reminiscent of the old Stiletto Catamarans, thanks to cowl-like hatches amidships in either hull that open to enough room below for a mattress, a place to stow gear, and a basic electrical system with LED lighting. 

The Sportcat is designed by French naval architect Francois Perus, co-founder of The Yacht Design Collective. The idea, he said, was to build a fast family cruiser.

As with Xquisite’s larger bluewater cruising cats, the Sportcat is not a vessel built to a price point. Its hulls are foam-cored and infused using vinylester resin, with carbon-­fiber reinforcements in high-load areas. Crossbeams are also made with carbon fiber, as are the rotating mast, rudders and bowsprit. The boat we sailed in Annapolis came with mini keels; carbon-fiber and epoxy daggerboards are an option.

Mesh trampolines are used in the cockpit and foredeck to reduce weight, and the composite deck amidships is covered with Flexiteek synthetic decking for traction. Sails on the boat in Annapolis were made by North and included a square-top 3Di Endurance main, jib, and G-Zero gennaker. The boat we sailed was powered by a 6 hp Mercury outboard; an electric motor is an option. Hull No. 1 carried a price tag of $258,000, but according to the Xquisite website, the current price is $285,000.

Xquisite Yachts, whose primary business is building luxury cruising catamarans, chose the sport design primarily as a training platform for its big-boat customers who visit the company’s facility in the Bahamas. Some of its owners are relatively new to the sport, and the Sportcat is intended for them to get an idea of how a multihull feels under sail. But it also is quite capable of pleasing sailors with a desire to go out and rip it up, which is just what the Boat of the Year team did one early morning on Chesapeake Bay. At the outset, the breeze was light, in the 5- to 8-knot range, and we saw speeds of 6 and 7 knots sailing upwind with the working jib. With the gennaker rolled out, we were matching windspeed, no problem.

The boat’s twin rudders are tied together by a carbon pipe, and the boat is steered using a long tiller extension, which lets the helmsman sit outboard on the windward hull, where there’s good visibility of main and headsail telltales. Tacking involves a bouncy dash across the aft trampoline—a fun maneuver once you get the hang of it.

After an hour or more on the water, given the Sportcat’s sparkling performance and the quality of its build and equipment, we judges had no other option but to name it Best Sportboat of 2024.

Xquisite 30 Sportcat Specifications

Mark Pillsbury is a CW editor at large and was a 2024 Boat of the Year judge.

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Overall Winner and Best Full-Size Cruiser: Hylas H57

Peggy Huang and David Crafa accepted the award for Hylas Yachts for the Overall Winner of the 2022 Cruising World Boat of the Year. The Hylas H57 won the Best Full-Size Cruiser category, placing it in the running against all category winners for the major prize: the overall Boat of the Year. The Hylas H57 distinguished itself above and beyond the others and was named Best Overall.

Boat of the Year judge Tim Murphy had this to say about the Hylas H57: “This Bill Dixon design is a departure from previous Germán Frers-designed Hylas yachts. It signals a new trend: new look, new layout, new thinking. This is a 57-foot twin-rudder boat that displaces 57,000 pounds. They’re doing something that we’ve seen in a lot of new boats lately, a trend where there’s a separation between the social cockpit and the working cockpit, and well aft, a walkway down between the twin helms to the transom. It’s a good solution. It works.

“When you come alongside, it actually looks and feels a little like a catamaran.

It’s got a hard dodger built in, a very successful one, which I think is quite useful when you’re in the cockpit. Everyone wants to have shade and shelter from rain and the elements, and this is an excellent answer for that. By and large, this is just a very nice, functional cruising boat. The berths are big and luxurious, but they’re also set up for lee cloths. This is a boat meant to go places. And it’s lovely to be aboard. It’s just a very strong boat in many, many ways.”

Judge Ed Sherman noted: “The boat we sailed seemed like a test bed for systems the company is considering for future models. The owners have broad experience in offshore sailing and considered very carefully what they wanted in a large boat that can be easily sailed by a cruising couple. From the custom enclosure for the helm and cockpit area to the powered winches and video-camera repeaters at the helm station to confirm sail trim, I think they hit a home run. 

“Like other boats we tested in this size range, the builder employed a 24-volt DC electrical system, which dramatically reduces overall weight on a boat as systems-rich as this was. Additionally, the electrical-system design helped ensure that onboard systems would function regardless of global location: 120-volt/60 Hz or 230-volt/50 Hz, it didn’t matter; accommodation was made to cover all bases.

“On top of all that, it sailed well. I thought they did a great job in designing the sailhandling controls. It’s all right there near the helm, and it worked well. I liked that. It got my vote.”

Judge Gerry Douglas noted: “The performance of the boat was terrific. It tacked through about 50 degrees, which was outstanding for a boat that big. It was always sailing at about 60 percent of the windspeed, which for a big, heavy boat like that was impressive. Regarding the boat’s ergonomics, every place to sit was comfortable. You had good seatback support and nothing awkward to step over. All the companionway steps were of equal size and worked well. It was just a really easy boat to get around. All the seat dimensions in the interior were correct. We’ve seen so many boats where that’s not the case. It was really comfortable to sit in. And you can imagine sitting there reading a book for hours and not feeling like you’re sitting on a park bench. 

“I voted for the Hylas because I think it was probably the most different from any other previous boat that the company has produced. It’s the first one that appealed to me personally. There’s a lot of content there and the price point—in retrospect, in view of all the prices of the boats in this year’s contest—is pretty reasonable. I never thought I’d say that a boat worth 2 million bucks was reasonable, but it is.”

2022 Boat of the Year: The Contest and Winner

Beneteau First 27: Best Pocket Cruiser/Daysailer

The Beneteau team, including Tomo Novak, Head of Sales, Seascape; Eric LeVine, Sales Manager, Beneteau; Andraz Mihelin, Founder, Seascape; Aurore Bordage, Marketing Manager, Beneteau, accepted their award for the Best Pocket Cruiser/Daysailer for the winning Beneteau First 27. The First 27, a sporty racer/cruiser, boasts all the amenities necessary for weekend and coastal voyaging: a serviceable head, galley and berths, and a Yanmar diesel. In other words, a couple could easily liveaboard, rather than camp, for short periods of time, but they could also expect to be serious podium contenders should those outings involve a regatta. In the end, when deciding the winner of the Best Pocket Cruiser, it was the little things that swayed the judges. “The fit-and-finish for the price point is at a different level,” judge Gerry Douglas said. “The equipment level was higher.”

2022 Boat of the Year: Best Pocket Cruiser/Daysailer

Leopard Catamarans Leopard 42: Best Cruising Catamaran (Under 50 Feet)

The Leopard Catamaran team, including Michael Robertson, Designer, Robertson and Caine; Theo Loock, CEO, Robertson and Caine; Franck Bauguil, VP Yacht Ownership and Product Development; Alex Simonis, Naval Architect, Simonis-Voogd Design; Peter Robertson, VP Sales, Robertson and Caine; and Josie Tucci, VP Charter Sales and Marketing; accepted their award for the Best Cruising Catamaran (Under 50 Feet) for the Leopard 42. 

From the proven partnership and collaboration between South African builder Robertson and Caine and the Moorings, the judges felt the Leopard 42 is an ideal platform for private ownership and/or bareboat chartering. The judges found much to like about this latest Leopard, including the offset steering station to starboard and the lounge space forward accessed via a front door in the saloon. But the Leopard sealed its victory with an awesome sea trial in which it overhauled and passed a popular new monohull. What put the boat over the top wasn’t just the sailing performance, which was obviously terrific, but also the tools with which to sail the boat, and its overall deck layout, all of which optimized the experience. Judge Tim Murphy said, “With the Leopard, you have visual eye contact from the raised helm station to starboard down into the cockpit, you’ve got a visual line of sight into the saloon, and you’ve got a pretty good visibility over the top of the cabin top everywhere. You had access to your main sheet right there where you needed it. This was one of the boats that had no traveler, but instead had a windward and leeward block on the mainsheet. I think that’s a fine system, I like the control you have. Jibing works fine and is easily controlled.”

2022 Boat of the Year: Best Cruising Catamaran (Under 50’)

Balance 482: Best Performance Catamaran

Mark Delany, Balance Managing Director; and Phil Berman, Balance Catamaran President received the award for the Best Performance Catamaran, for Balance Catamaran’s Balance 482. Quick, fast and fun, the South African-built Balance 482 is a cat that will get up and go, but offers plenty of comfort once the hook is down.

“The sailing performance was excellent,” said judge Gerry Douglas. “The boat felt really good. The steering was terrific. The structure of the boat throughout was exemplary. Storage is really good. Visibility was good. Ventilation was great. There was even a rain collection system on the cabin top, which is the only one of the boats we looked at had that. It was very well concealed because the gutters formed a handhold going forward. The solar panel installation was also well done. The panels were encapsulated into a fiberglass tray that elevated the deck so the panels wouldn’t overheat. Very clever.”

The driving force behind Balance cats is Phil Berman, a world champ at racing beach cats who brought that passion to developing and marketing fully found cruisers. Judge Murphy knows him well: “Phil comes from a very strong view of wanting to see boats that have solid sailing performance. He’s also a strong proponent of daggerboard boats, which tends to be quick shorthand for the dividing line between cats that are more about payload versus cats that are about performance, but not so much where you’re going to fly a hull or break a rudder. There’s a balance within a boat that really performs that you can still live aboard.”

2022 Boat of the Year: Best Performance Catamaran

Xquisite X5 Plus: Best Cruising Catamaran (Over 50 Feet)

The Xquisite crew of Tamas Hamor, CEO; Stephen Joyce, Global Service Manager; and Sara Hajdu, Xquisite Charter, were on hand to accept the award for the Best Cruising Catamaran (Over 50 Feet) for the Xquisite X5 Plus. A unique cruising cat with cool features galore and an impressive commitment to customer service, the Xquisite X5 Plus won the judges over. This is a dedicated cruising cat, through and through. And there’s much to like about this 53-foot South African-built product. For judge Tim Murphy, the important details weren’t necessarily the ones you could easily see, but rather the ones you couldn’t. “What I was most struck by on our tour of the boat was actually the service side of the whole equation,” he said. “There are 40,000 man-hours invested in this boat. And you can see it—those are solid hours of labor. One thing that was pointed out were two different marks on the heads of bolts showing they were torqued. And part of the Xquisite program is they spend two weeks with each owner, training them up with systems. All told, this is really one strong product.” 

Judge Ed Sherman agreed: “The business model here is exemplary. What they’re really doing is emulating the high-end automotive market. I think they looked at the automotive sector for high-end cars like BMW and Mercedes and said, ‘OK, this sounds good, it looks good, and we’re going to do it, too.’ And they are. So, I think that that aspect of his business plan where they’re training the owners and then doing things like loading the boat up with spare parts as part of the original purchase, I mean, hats off to them. It’s a great way to go. How can you argue against it?”

“I couldn’t find anything that was done halfway,” said Gerry Douglas. “It was done better than you’d expect it to be, just because they wanted the boat to be perfect.  And the quality of construction is excellent. It’s an infused hull but with a hand-laminated deck because there’s so many very tight corners and cavities. They didn’t think they could infuse that without adding a whole lot of weight. And I get that. So, they would hand laminate it, which makes sense when you have some of the very sharp corners that exist on that boat. It was all just perfectly done.”

2022 Boat of the Year: Best Cruising Catamaran (Over 50’)

Kinetic KC54: All-around excellence took the judges breath away

Kinetic CEO Bob Hayward and Collin Marshall, Boat & Sailing Systems Engineer,

were on hand to accept the award for the Kinetic KC54. The Kinetic KC54 received a Special Recognition award. The Kinetic KC54 is a fresh entry in the cat universe and a new player in the class of what might be called Super Cats, the progenitors of which are notable brands like Gunboat and HH Catamarans. These light, fast craft put a high premium in flat-out performance, but also have the cool, comfortable, contemporary features and amenities of a stylish, forward-thinking cruising boat. They are, in the realm of performance cruisers, at the very cutting edge. Judge Tim Murphy got right to the point: “This is a fairly new company that was started within the past couple of years. My breath was absolutely taken away by this boat; it was spectacular. I think it was the best-built boat in the entire fleet. It’s an all-carbon boat, with a foam core, epoxy resin, all infused–fantastic. The whole boat felt integrated. You didn’t feel like there was a conflict between the forces in terms of accommodation versus performance.” With a price tag approaching $3 million, it perhaps should not be astonishing. That was a major factor in evaluating the boat, and while it did not win its class, the experts panel did present it with a Judges’ Special Recognition prize to honor the boat’s overall excellence.

“It was my personal favorite in this year’s contest,” said judge Ed Sherman. The materials that were used are absolutely the highest quality available in our industry at this point, and it’s a very high-tech boat in terms of systems.” Judge Gerry Douglas was also duly impressed: “This was the Tesla of sailboats. I think that that was their model. In terms of design and execution and technology, it hit all three of those marks. This boat is built without compromise, and what it cost was not an issue, they just wanted to do the best they could in every aspect of the boat. The construction was impeccable, the fit and finish was amazing. There are some very clever design things in the boat, but it all really worked seamlessly.”  

2022 Boat of the Year: Special Judges’ Awards

The 2022 BOTY Contest

The 27 entries—the largest BOTY entry list in many years—were ultimately broken down into eight categories, with the 16 monohulls distributed over five divisions ranging from 24 feet to 67 feet in size, and with prices ranging from $50,000 to $4 million. Meanwhile, the 11 nominated catamarans were grouped in three classes: two based on size and a third focused on performance. And talk about an international gathering! Builders from no fewer than nine nations were represented: the US, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden and Taiwan. 

Boats tests were divided into two parts: onboard inspections that took place on the docks at the US Sailboat Show in Annapolis, MD., in October; and at-sea sail trials conducted in the days immediately following the boat show.

Judges chose winners in eight separate size- and/or purpose-related categories. Just for good measure—because they were suitably impressed by their excellence—they also presented a pair of separate awards to boats that deserved special recognition. 

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Are they really all-around cruising sailboats, or are they luxurious and large party platforms that are best-suited for crewed charter vacations in tropical settings? That was once a fair, probing question to ask of the builders knocking off long, tall, beamy vessels balanced on a pair of cabin-filled hulls. But no longer. Despite their respective girths and displacements, not to mention a wide variety of windspeeds and sea states, this quartet of full-size cats performed admirably across the board in this year’s BOTY sea trials. Yes, they now truck along like good, honest sailboats. All that room is icing on the cake. At the end of the day, however, it’s how that space is utilized that separates the king and the contenders. 

Destined almost exclusively for the charter trade, the judges believed the Voyage 590 would truly excel in that role, so much so that they ultimately recognized it with a special award as the year’s Best Charter Boat. But that didn’t mean they did not consider it an innovative, exciting vessel on its total merits. “It’s a ‘techie’ boat, and they’re doing a lot of cool things with lithium batteries and 24-volt systems,” judge Ed Sherman said. “In terms of systems integration, they’re using high-end inverters to help out with things like variable-speed air-conditioning systems so they won’t have to run generators for extended periods of times. It’s pretty cool stuff. And under power, it’s one of the quietest boats we tested. High marks all around!”

Lagoon Catamarans, as most multihull sailors know, was one of the era’s true pioneers in the evolving world of cruising cats. Their new Lagoon Sixty 5 is another vessel that, not unlike the Voyage 590, will find plenty of duty in the serious business of having fun: in other words, the charter business. And it would be hard to find a better vessel for doing precisely that. The focal point of the boat, on multiple levels, is the epic flybridge, a feature that Lagoon first explored on a big cat with the firm’s 620 but which they have fully realized on this massive 67-footer. It utilizes a pair of steering stations, which are handy indeed given the beam of the yacht. The overhead Bimini sports a glass window for trimming the mainsail, a welcome and innovative addition. Sofas, wet bar, grill, fridge: all combined, they ask an important question, one that strikes to the heart of the boat’s clear purpose. Why would you ever go below?

In many respects, Fountaine Pajot was unquestionably another pioneer in the realm of production cruising cats, and it’s been fascinating to watch the company evolve. Tim Murphy has had a ringside seat for much of that decades-long evolution. “It’s been interesting to watch their trajectory over the years,” he said. “They started out as a very performance-oriented manufacturer. So, a lot of their thinking is about keeping weight out of their boats and creating cats that are going to perform well. Now they’re more in a market that’s moved in the direction of accommodation, and we’ve watched them transition in that direction. But speed and elegance remain important, as shown here.” A key selling point in the Samana 59 is the versatility offered in the several optional interior layouts. A pair of Maestro versions incorporate a roomy, stellar owner’s suite. But for full-on chartering, who could resist the six (!) double cabins with, of course, a half-dozen accompanying heads.

When all was said and done, though, the judges couldn’t help but honor the efforts behind the Xquisite X5 Plus; it must be noted that, unlike its competitors in the class, chartering wasn’t part of the design brief. This is a dedicated cruising cat, through and through. And there’s much to like about this 53-foot South African-built product. For judge Tim Murphy, the important details weren’t necessarily the ones you could easily see, but rather the ones you couldn’t. “What I was most struck by on our tour of the boat was actually the service side of the whole equation,” he said. “There are 40,000 man-hours invested in this boat. And you can see it—those are solid hours of labor. One thing that was pointed out were two different marks on the heads of bolts showing they were torqued. And part of the Xquisite program is they spend two weeks with each owner, training them up with systems. All told, this is really one strong product.” 

Judge Ed Sherman agreed: “The business model here is exemplary. What they’re really doing is emulating the high-end automotive market. I think they looked at the automotive sector for high-end cars like BMW and Mercedes and said, ‘OK, this sounds good, it looks good, and we’re going to do it, too.’ And they are. So, I think that that aspect of his business plan where they’re training the owners and then doing things like loading the boat up with spare parts as part of the original purchase, I mean, hats off to them. It’s a great way to go. How can you argue against it?”

“I couldn’t find anything that was done halfway,” said Gerry Douglas. “It was done better than you’d expect it to be, just because they wanted the boat to be perfect.  And the quality of construction is excellent. It’s an infused hull but with a hand-laminated deck because there’s so many very tight corners and cavities. They didn’t think they could infuse that without adding a whole lot of weight. And I get that. So, they would hand laminate it, which makes sense when you have some of the very sharp corners that exist on that boat. It was all just perfectly done.”

Sometimes coming to a decision is hard. Sometimes it’s obvious. And when the votes were tallied, it was the Xquisite X5 Plus that was the obvious choice as Best Cruising Catamaran (Over 50’) for 2022.

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Let’s begin by saying the X5 catamaran from Xquisite Yachts, with its soaring cockpit arch, sweeping curves in the cabin top and array of windows, is at first glance, well, distinctive.

But after spending an hour or so digging through the South African-built bluewater cruiser while it was tied to the dock at the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland, and another sailing it in a decent breeze on Chesapeake Bay, our team of Boat of the Year judges came up with a better description of the X5: Most Innovative.

“It’s just really, really impressive the number of seagoing details built into this boat,” said judge Tim Murphy. His colleague, systems specialist Ed Sherman, was smitten as well. “In terms of systems, I mean, we’ve got one of the best applications of digital technology that I’ve ever seen on a boat applied on this yacht — with triple redundancy, which is aircraft-grade, for all intents and purposes,” said Sherman.

Indeed, the X5’s Mastervolt CZone electrical system, integrated with a full suite of Garmin electronics, is impressive. But more so are the touches added by Xquisite founders Tamas and Sarah Hamor, who brought their experience from 10 years of circumnavigating to bear in the feature-rich design of the boat. Detailed maintenance schedules for every mechanical device, owner manuals and even the serial numbers of all equipment are stored on an iPad that comes with each vessel. And from that iPad, an owner has complete control of all onboard systems.

BOTY judge Carol Hasse appreciated some of the Hamors’ more practical knowledge. Accessibility to things such as through-hull fittings, shaft seals and other mission-critical gear is excellent, something Tamas insisted on, having fixed just about everything on his own boats. At the helm station, raised to port, all control lines are led to a central bank of electric winches controlled by foot pedals rather than buttons so the skipper’s hands are free for other work. Overhead of the fixed-glass windscreen, a clever battened bimini can be easily slid open so you can view the sails above, or closed with the sweep of an arm if the weather turns.

The rig on the X5 is made of aluminum rather than carbon fiber because, says Tamas, the former is more forgiving in electrical storms. And the sail plan — square-top main, working self-tacking jib set on an inner forestay and furler, and big genoa forward on a second Harken furler — is designed to be easily handled alone while the other half of the crew sleeps below.

The X5’s lineage, like its design, is closely linked to the Hamors. Crossing the Pacific on a Leopard catamaran, they lost their mast in French Polynesia, replaced it and carried on until they arrived in Australia, where the boat was sold. Looking for their next cruising cat, they purchased a Rudolf Junker-designed Dean catamaran, but the South African builder went out of business before the boat was finished. Eventually, the Hamors finished the boat themselves and sailed off; in the meantime, a group of workers and financial interests regrouped to form Phoenix Marine, which builds the X5 exclusively for Xquisite Yachts.

Construction of the boat appeared to be top-notch. Vinylester resin is used throughout. Hulls are solid glass below the waterline and cored above; the deck and cabin top are also cored, as is all of the furniture.

The boat we tested featured an owners cabin with en suite head and shower that filled the starboard hull, and double cabins with en suite heads and showers to port (a four-cabin charter layout is also offered). The X5, listed at $1.2 million, comes loaded with a watermaker, a genset, a well-provisioned galley and the aforementioned electrical and electronics systems — in essence, everything you’d need to step aboard and go cruising.

With North sails set in 8 to 10 knots of breeze, we made 7 knots closehauled and watched the speedo jump to 7.9 on a reach. “That Xquisite sure sailed beautifully,” said Hasse. “I mean beautifully.”

Mark Pillsbury is CW’s editor.

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