FAMILY CRUISERS

NOMINEES: Beneteau Oceanis 46.1, Dufour Grand Large 390, Hallberg-rassy 340, Swallow Coast 250

It was really positive to see a mix of mid-sized entries shortlisted for the family cruiser category, from the innovative new 25ft Swallow from Wales to the Oceanis 46.1, a design tasked with replacing Beneteau’s most popular model to date.

The Hallberg-rassy is a very special small yacht, which brings a real air of luxury. It shows how a relatively small cruising yacht can still take you places in true comfort, offer a rich sailing experience and provide the longevity and resale value of premium build quality. We found the helm area a bit too compact, a compromise of squeezing in twin wheels, but it is otherwise a very well designed and finished cruising yacht.

The Dufour 390 combines modern styling with tried and tested design. In contrast to most of its competitors, which now shoehorn the winches in by the helms to maximise cockpit space, the Dufour cockpit is easy to work in and the aft quarter seats are particularly comfortable to helm from. The interior is annoyingly noisy at sea, though, with some poor finish quality evident, but is well laid out and comes with an impressive digital or analogue switch panel as standard.

And then there is the very different Coast 250 from Swallow Yachts, which combines so many well thought out concepts into one compact design. It is demonstrably trailable – all the way from Wales to Barcelona – rigged easily, and can plane out to sailing areas under motor at 15 knots with the larger outboard option fitted (centrally in the cockpit). Plus there’s room to cook a meal and sleep the family below. All this makes for quite a squat shape, yet this didn’t seem to have an overly large impact on Swallow’s renowned performance.

Dufour Grand Large 390

The Dufour offers an attractive package with a good layout, particularly in the cockpit. Price ex VAT: €137,000

Hallberg-rassy 340

The enticing new, modern shape of Hallberg-rassy: beam carried aft, twin rudders and a straight stem with integrated bowsprit. Price ex VAT: €202,800

Swallow Coast 250

A yacht a young family or an elderly couple can enjoy that can also be trailed and motored out to your preferred sailing area quickly. Price ex VAT: £43,333

The Oceanis 46.1 has raised the bar significantly in the highly competitive melting pot of midsize family cruisers, in terms of both looks and performance.