Upcoming Shows
- Trawler Fest - Solomon’s, MD September 28th - 30th 2006
- US Sailboat Show - October 5th - 9th 2006 Annapolis
- US Powerboat Show - October 12th - 15th 2006 Annapolis
- Strictly Sail - January 18th - 21st 2007 Philadelphia
- Bay Bridge Boat Show - April 26th - 29th 2007 Kent Island
- Richmond Indoor Boat Show January 12-14 2007
Beneteau First 10R Open House October 6
The Marine Edge group, of which Annapolis Yacht Sales is a member, will be holding a First 10R open house on Friday evening at Bert Jabins Yacht Yard at 6.30PM.
Entry is by invitation only, so please contact one of the Brokers at AYS for an invite.
We will have industry experts from all the participants in the manufacturing of the 10R and its equipment, including representatives of Farr Yacht Design, Beneteau, Hall Spars, NKE instruments, Harken and Lewmar. We will also have members of the AYS Team that have sailed the boat this year to answer any and all questions.
Refreshments and snacks will be served, and the 10R will be floodlit so don’t worry about getting there after dark.
New 2007 Beneteau 49
How can only a few words define the New Beneteau 49? If I had to choose only one word, that word would be spectacular!!!!
The entire yacht - from the stern to the bow rail, the interior accommodations, the fit and finish of the beautiful mahogany woodwork and parquet floors, the refined interior design by NAUTA, the storage capacity inside and out, the fantastic engine access, two huge heads with real shower stalls, the sailing performance, the ease of handling, the deck layout, the hull design, the huge cockpit, the stainless mooring cleats, the stainless handrail in the main salon – is just outstanding.
Many sailors from around the US and the world have already made their decision and have placed their orders for fall and winter deliveries. All that I can ask from you is to come and take a look for yourself and I’m sure that you will agree with me and the rest of the world.
Beneteau has produced a spectacular sailing yacht.
Our first of many Beneteau 49’s has arrived in Annapolis and is available to see at your earliest convenience. Don’t wait too long, the 2007 sailing season is not that far away.
Dan Nardo CPYB
Beneteau’s First Series continues winning style.
As we look back and reflect on the past year, Beneteau and their owners have a lot to be proud of. Beneteau has been winning lots of races both inshore and offshore with all of the first series models: the 36.7 and its large one design fleet, the 40.7 and the 44.7. Each model of the first series is unique and has had its share of victories.
Beneteau continues to offer new and exciting boats that allow the customer achieve their goals, whether they are one design, fast cruising or winning the prestigious 100 year anniversary of the Newport Bermuda offshore race. Beneteau can offer it all, so take a minute and think about your vision and see if one of these boats fits your style.
First 10R New
First 36.7
First 40.7
First 44.7
First 50 New
The New Kid on the block with a lot to offer is the new Beneteau First Series 10R.
One of the attractions of the 10R (there are many), is that it is aimed at fewer crew and easier handling. The bowsprit and asymmetrical chute makes working foredeck far easier. Jibes, hoists and douses are easier. The decision was made to go with Harken's new Mark IV roller furler as the One Design class standard. This will make sailing the 10R even easier yet. This new furler has an easy-to-access internal turnbuckle for headstay tensioning.
Some of the things to really like about the 10R are the huge cockpit, roomy helm area, terrific deck hardware and rigging, 8 opening ports, plenty of storage, the Hall carbon mast, continuous rod rigging so you can adjust the D2s from the deck, it powers faster than anything ever seen in this size range, turning radius is very good, bulb keel picks up a lot of stability as the boat heels, and the infused/injected hull and deck seem really stiff and solid. Quality abounds everywhere.
New design and technology should be faster and better, so when looking at a new boat you should expect it to be better than the older stuff that is out there, comparing apples to apples. But that last phrase, "apples to apples", is key. The Beneteau First 10R is a mixture of design features that make it rather different from most other boats. It is not a stripped-out race-only boat like a Melges 32. It is not a light sportboat like the J/92S. It weighs over 9000 pounds. But it is more racy than a C&C 99 for example, a boat of the same size and which shares many of the same rough dimensions. The First 10R is designed to be a "have your cake and eat it too" sort of boat, with a comfortable and functional interior. Yet it is modern and sporty, fast, easy to sail and fun. The designer (Farr), and builder (Beneteau), have achieved those goals.
Ken Comerford and Dave Sill
Selling a Used Boat
We understand your concern in picking the right yacht brokerage company to sell your yacht. Annapolis Yacht Sales is presently celebrating its 52nd year in business. Our sales are divided between new and used boats - both power and sailing yachts. Our seven full time professional yacht brokers have many years of extensive experience with all types of vessels including world cruisers, bay sailors, live-boards, racers, trawlers and power yachts.
Our advertising is comprehensive and includes print material as well as a broad internet presence. Print advertising includes Sail Magazine, Cruising World, Chesapeake Bay Magazine, Soundings, Spin Sheet, Prop Talk, SailingWorld & Power Cruising. We have the ability to track our prospects on all of these publications which enables us see which
publications generate the most calls that result in the sale of a boat. All of our listings are posted to several web sites that include Yachtworld, Yacht Council and Boat Search. AYS maintains an extensive web site that includes details and pictures of each listing.
Your broker will prepare a complete detailed listing of your boat that will include a full set of photographs. AYS maintains relationships with brokers throughout country and will keep them updated by letter and e-mail. New, quality listings will always generate interest among our fellow brokers.
Everyone always asks how long it will take to sell a boat. A true answer doesn’t exist. There are too many variables that affect the final sale. Three things always have an effect on the sale of any boat:
Condition: A boat offered in top cosmetic and mechanical condition will sell faster.
Location-Location-Location: The more exposure the faster the sale.
Price: A boat offered at a realistic price will be the first boat sold.
Should you be interested in exploring the sale of your boat with Annapolis Yacht Sales please call one of our professional yacht brokers to discuss your individual needs. We
are more than happy to assist you!
Charles L. Gomez
Paul M. Rosen, CPYB
2007 Beneteau Rendezvous.
Next summer we plan on having our rendezvous at Solomon’s Island again. The date is set for June 1 to 3 . Come get out on your boat and join us for a wonderful weekend.
For those of you that may be new to this - plan on having a good time. We will have dinners, dancing, seminars, and new this year an opportunity to sail in a fun casual club race. We hope that we will see you there.
Annapolis Yacht Sales Staff…
Beneteau First 50
"Whoa, now that's the boat I want!" my customer, Jose, said to me as we sat at my computer reviewing digital photos of some of the boats that debuted at the Paris Boat Show. I was zipping though about 100 shots of new Beneteau models that Garth had crawled on while visiting the Paris show last December. Embedded in those photos were two pictures of a three foot tall plastic model encased in glass of the yet-to-be-built Beneteau First 50. While it was a simple rendering of what Beneteau thought the new boat would look like, Garth saw similar jaw dropping reactions from those who viewed the model at the show. Though only on the screen for a moment as I whipped though a massive collection of photos, I could easily see that Jose knew the First 50 would be his next boat.
From the beginning, Beneteau wanted to design a boat with stunning looks that kept the performance characteristics up to the standards embodied in all their First series racer/cruisers. All the while, they wanted to depart from the current line-up to compete closer with brands that were not usually considered to be First series peers. The designers took inspiration from the radical lines of high-end custom brands like Walley and other custom one-offs, while mixing in some upper tier amenities and fixtures found in boats like Swan and Grand Soleil. Beneteau veered onto a new path with this design. Not meant as a pure racer, the Beneteau First 50 offers styling, comfort and beauty unparalleled in their current fleet. From the pen of Philippe Briand, the lines of the boat offer up a breath stealing shape that is complimented by a Nauta designed interior resembling those found in the most expensive custom boats built today. She will be built at the state of the art production facility in France.
We expect the boat that Beneteau USA ordered for the Annapolis Boat Show to be at our office in the coming weeks, so call one of our brokers today to set up a personal tour. And, please wear easy to remove shoes, as the new owner, Jose, wants to keep his boat clean and ready for the show. I forgot to mention, Jose could not wait to see her, so he bought hull #2 sight unseen. While not every buyer has enough knowledge of boats to purchase such a vessel without every having seen it, one look will convince you that Beneteau is bringing some very exciting products our way this year. We are excited to show you this and all the other new products. So give us a call!
Tim Wilbricht
New Sabre Spirit – Arriving in Spring 2007
We are truly excited about this new 36 foot Jim Taylor design, due to debut in February. RCR has one on order for April. Tooling is underway now.
Here is the latest information we received yesterday from Sabre:
Jim Taylor Yacht Design and the Sabre Design Team have collaborated on five award winning designs over the past 15 years, and, for 2007, are proud to introduce the Sabre Spirit daysailer with classic good looks and spirited performance.
For 35 years, Sabre Yachts has built sailing yachts with a performance pedigree, all built for people who love sailing and who treasure the exhilarating feeling that a great sailboat design can offer her crew. But just as some owners allow the time for long range cruising, there are those whose schedules require a different sailing lifestyle.
And so Sabre again turned to Jim Taylor to design a daysailer with the style and elegance of sailing yachts of a bygone era and added to the design mandate, blending the performance of a youthful sport boat with "grown-up" ease of handling available with today's modern sailing hardware. To merely use a number to describe such a boat seemed inadequate, and so the name "Spirit" was chosen to better describe the very essence of this yacht.
L.O.A. 36'-8"
L.W.L. 28'-4"
Beam 10'-5"
Deep Keel 6'-7"
Wing Keel 4-11 1/2"/1.51 m
Displacement (lbs.): Deep Keel 9,300 lbs
Ballast (lbs.): Deep Keel 3740 lbs
Rig Dimensions:
P .45.50'
E .16.55'
I .45.50'
J 12.87'
Total Sail Area .668 sq ft
Cockpit Length 10'-0"
Headroom.(Max) 6' 0"
Water Tank (Total gals.) 30 gals
Holding Tank (gals.) 30 gals
Fuel Tank (gals.) 20 gal
PHRF Rating (Average) 87 (est)
Mast Hgt Above WL (w/o instruments) 55' 3"
Built to NMMA, ABYC, and USCG standards
The overhangs of the Spirit's hull convey a traditional elegance, while her nominally narrow beam allows her to sail beautifully and responsively. As is typical of all Sabre yachts, deck hardware and fittings are of the highest standards. Her carbon spar, chosen for added performance and increased stability, is provided by Hall Spars, a 20 year supplier. Below deck, a standard sail drive engine reduces vibration and increases propulsion efficiency. Keels and rudder, designed by Jim Taylor Yacht Design, offer the latest in technology and performance. Few yachts will sail better than the Sabre Spirit.
The Spirit's deck is stylish and uncluttered. Her simple sailing rig consists of an easily managed self-tacking jib and a conventional mainsail to ensure optimum performance. Her furling jib is attached on to a below-deck furler, so that only the sail is visible above the deck line, and her mainsheet is led from an aft deck traveler to the helm, allowing short or single handed sailing with little effort. Custom toe rails, stem head fitting, mooring chocks and cleats all add to the graceful beauty of her lines. Her cockpit is long and hospitable and offers comfortable seating for her owners and guests.
Down below is a simple yet elegant layout built with the Maine craftsmanship and quality for which Sabre Yachts is so well known, such as dovetailed drawer boxes, inlaid steps and tables, and laminated trim. A fully functional galley is found to port of the companionway and to starboard is an enclosed head. Her navigational/chart table is forward and to port at the forward end of the salon.
Her salon offers twin port and starboard settees which surround an inlaid centerline drop leaf table. A traditional teak and holly sole adds warmth to this elegant cabin. And at the forward bulkhead a ring frame surrounds the opening to the forward cabin sleeping accommodation.
There is no mistaking this yacht's heritage or pedigree. She is a Sabre throughout, a fast and extremely elegant day sailor which will bring back the excitement and exhilaration which we all felt when we first tried the beautiful pastime of sailing.
Comments on the Beneteau First 10R by Don Finkle of RCR Yachts
Beneteau First 10R, My Comments, by Don Finkle: I have been trying to get out and use our 10R Horseweed (For those of you that do not know, I have a 36.7 named Seaweed and Garth has a 36.7 named Seahorse, hence the 10R is called Horseweed) as much as possible because next Monday it leaves for Annapolis, as it is time to give it back to our partner Annapolis Yacht Sales for the balance of the season. AYS will be racing the boat in a variety of fall races, showing it at some events on the Chesapeake, as well as using it for our Marine Edge 10R Open House on Friday October 6.
When we first got the boat here I was focused on getting it out on the race course and proving that it is fast, which I think we have accomplished. Now I have been spending more effort on learning the pros and cons of the boat and showing it to others, figuring out just how and where it fits into the overall market. I have used it sufficiently now to feel comfortable making the following observations.
The more I use the 10R, the more I fall in love with it. Most new boats are updates of those that have gone before, but the 10R is really a big step forward in a number of areas, all of which combine to make it a really nice package. This is what we asked Farr to design and Beneteau to build, and they have not disappointed. We wanted innovative design and state of the art construction, and the 10R employs both.
Lets start first with the design, because after all that is what ultimately defines what any boat has the potential to do. Farr was given more latitude to build a "racier" boat, yet one that could be handled by shorter crew. This meant a stiff boat that could stand up to the breeze without a ton of crew weight on the rail. It meant a low wetted surface hull shape so the boat would go in typical North American light air conditions. The latest in underwater foil shapes were employed, what designers call the "appendages". Did you know that Farr Yacht Design has two staff Naval Architects who work solely on appendages? This is one benefit of having a world-class design firm with the horsepower to devote to refining every detail as well as having so much opportunity for research and development. Not only the foils themselves are cause for considerable study, the shape of the hull that they are married too must go hand-in-hand when the boat is being drawn, so displacement is properly distributed.
So what we have with the 10R is a very refined hull shape that does not seem to have any tendency for bow-down trim or stern-squatting, she appears to be on her fore-and-aft lines all the time. The keel design has all of the lead concentrated in the torpedo-shaped bulb at the bottom. Actually the bulb shape is much more sophisticated than a simple torpedo, but that gives you the general idea. The result is a lot of stability, especially when combined with the light weight tapered carbon fiber mast. Less weight aloft, and more down deep in the keel, mean that the boat has more righting moment with fewer crew.
Something we thoroughly enjoy about the 10R is the very tight turning radius, which has a lot to do with the keel shape. The narrow blade allows you to turn the boat very quickly, something that is handy when maneuvering in tight quarters and at marks. Obviously this attribute is a help when docking too.
The rudder is further forward than in older designs, because research has shown that keeping the water flow attached to the top of the rudder where it meets the hull....the end plate effect....is very advantageous. So we have very modern underwater foils attached to this very up-to-date hull shape. The next key design element is the sail plan. If you study all recent performance boat designs, large, medium or small, you will see that they all feature asymmetrical spinnakers. Not only are a-sails efficient, they are easier to handle, which is one of the stated design objectives. So a carbon-fiber bowsprit (or "prod" if you will) that retracts into the hull is standard equipment on the 10R. This makes setting, gybing and dousing the spinnaker much easier. For the offwind speed that we all asked for we got masthead spinnakers, another trend on modern fractional rigged boats, which the 10R is. I admit to a strong bias toward fractional rigs for many reasons, but that is fodder for an entire lengthy discussion alone. Suffice to say that fractional headsails are fairly standard on today's racing boats.
A fast rig needs to be manageable and adjustable, and this is where the 10R's carbon fiber mast comes into play again. The diameter of the mast is small, meaning less drag and turbulence, yet the strength of the carbon means that the spar is very rigid. Unlike an aluminum mast, the engineered carbon fiber mast has much more lateral stiffness, so when the wind velocity changes the mast stays in column. At the same time the shape allows for adequate fore-and-aft bend when the mainsail needs to be flattened. The upper section of the mast is nicely tapered, and the fittings and spreaders are very clean. I really like the extended masthead crane, which allows the large roach main to pass through the backstay with minimal interference with the battens. The standing rigging is rod for less drag and easier tuning, and all shrouds are adjustable from the deck.
It is all fine to have a fast hull shape and a powerful rig, but if the crew cannot work the boat properly they will not realize its performance potential. Here again Farr excels because they have so much deck-design experience. The 10R deck is nicely laid-out with all the sail controls you would want, all in the right locations. The cockpit is very large, loads of room to tack or gybe the boat without tripping over other crew members. The area behind the traveler belongs to the helmsperson, and there is a ton of space back there, with no interference from other members of the crew. There are plenty of lines on this boat, but the spaghetti is logically placed and all in easy reach of the crew.
Put all of the design elements together and you get a 33 foot boat that has stability, speed, and pointing ability, coupled with an easy to handle sailplan. Fast, fun, and no gorillas needed!
The other half of the equation that makes the 10R special is the construction. This design could have been built with cheaper and simpler materials and methods, but then it would have been just another boat. What makes all of the cool design features work to their potential is the way the 10R is made. The hull and deck are built using infusion and injection technology, which results in a lighter weight finished part with more stiffness and a higher strength-to-weight ratio. This method of lay-up means that both the inner and outer surfaces of the part are smooth and finished, so that no inner liner is needed. Liners add useless weight and hide access. Further, the 10R features a cored hull, something that costs more to build but which results in a stiffer and lighter structure. Beneteau still employs their extensive internal structural grid below the cabin sole to support the keel however.
Keel construction is also high-tech, with an epoxy-coated cast iron fin with all of the lead ballast concentrated in the bulb. This makes for a strong fin that can be made thinner than a keel made of softer lead. The benefits are two-fold. First, the designer can make the foil the shape and size he really desires, without fear that the structure will be unable to support the bulb. Secondly, the concentration of lead all at the bottom gives maximum righting moment for a given weight and size of bulb. More expensive, yes, but better, definitely!
We already spoke of the carbon fiber mast, but it deserves another mention. Not just any carbon spar, but one made by Hall. Their masts are a thing of beauty, as are all of the fittings and running rigging they provide. The quality is exceptional, and that theme follows throughout the rest of the boat. The deck hardware is mostly Harken, as are the winches, with some Spinlock and Wichard items where appropriate. The traveler works really well, and fittings are properly placed. All sail controls are there, including in-haulers for headsails.
The steering is by a humongous 60 inch double-spoke leather covered wheel that is recessed into the cockpit sole at a more convenient height. There are molded footrests aft and stainless steel ones at the molded pedestal. The transom is open to save weight and to provide the fastest possible exit for any water coming aboard. This feature also provides better access to the swim ladder or into a dinghy. Cockpit seats are long with stowage below.
We have spoken a lot about the performance and construction, but the 10R is not solely a racer. The design of this boat is intended to invite comfortable sleeping, lounging and living spaces below, whether for cruising, deliveries or at regattas. There are four comfortable berths with the aft starboard double in an enclosed cabin. There is a full galley with plenty of stowage, port quarter berth, a roomy navigation area with sit-down chart table, and port and starboard facing settees below in the salon. Eight opening ports provide ventilation, the cabin sole surface is hard-to-damage laminate, and the standing headroom is pretty darn good for a 33 foot performance boat. One of the best interior elements of the 10R is the fully-molded forward head. With no V-berth in the boat the head is roomier than normal. It is also designed explicitly for easy setting and dousing of the spinnaker from the head, with a rounded hatch overhead and a molded FRP surface so water will not cause any harm.
To keep the ends light (remember the open transom?) the bow area forward of the head is open. For cruising there is access to this space from the head for stowage of outsize items, but for racing there is nothing up there. This does seem to aid the boat while going through chop.
The interior finish matches the obvious visual quality of the exterior. The joinery below is beautiful varnished Pear wood that is light and bright, complimenting the smooth inner surface of hull and deck. Everything about this boat shouts of proper design and construction, inside and out.
OK, so the 10R is a fast, innovative and well made boat. The comment that seems to describe the handling and performance is "sporty". We should also mention now that it looks great in the water, we get many comments about the appearance. But where does it fit? Well, until there are enough of them for one design racing they will be competing mainly in PHRF like most everything else. Yes, we have heard all of the concerns about the rating and where it will ultimately end up. Our 84 rating here on Lake Ontario is about average relative to ratings in other areas. There should be enough data from all over North America in the next year or so for the rating to settle down at a fair, if not necessarily advantageous, number. But the real hope of course is that there will be enough 10Rs for one design sailing, at least for regattas. The initial interest from the Canadian side seems to indicate that this is entirely probable.
We predict a bright future for the 10R for many reasons. It is new. It is exciting. It looks great. It has a sporty feel to it. It sure seems to be fast in our conditions. It is a handy size, big enough but not too big. The saildrive engine makes the 10R one bodacious motorboat! It has enough of an interior to provide comfortable flexibility of use, yet it is not so burdened with furniture so as to turn off more serious racers. The deck and cockpit are roomy for racing, day sailing or cruising. There is plenty of pride of ownership factor here. And yet, the one thing that is probably most important of all is the fact that this boat can sail with fewer crew and without that all-too-hard-to-find hotshot bowman (or bow-woman). You will need fewer people, they don't need to be as strong and athletic, and they don't need to be big and heavy. So more sailors out there can put together a competitive program with the 10R because she is not so crew-intensive.
Another factor in favor of the 10R is the competitive landscape right now, what else is there to compete with it? Actually there is almost nothing, the closest would be the J/109 and the First 36.7. The J/109 is still a very slick boat which actually is similar in a number of ways to the 10R but at a much higher price-point. The 10R was deliberately aimed at a different market than the 36.7 so they would complement more than compete with one another. Instead of a slightly smaller 33 foot version of the 36.7, we asked for, and got, a very different boat. Most customers looking to make a move into a newer and more modern performance boat will fairly quickly decide which boat, 10R or 36.7, suits them best. The price points for the 10R and the 36.7 are similar to the point that price would not be why you would select one over the other.
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That’s all for now folks, see you at one of the shows or open house!
Garth and Sue Hichens and all the staff at AYS
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