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Blog | Yachts to Consider Between 70 to 80 ft.

Arm yourself with actionable sales intelligence in the motoryacht arena.

INTRODUCTION

The 70-80 foot market continues to be a strong market with several recent sales. Here’s a breakdown of a few of the top yachts to consider between 70 and 80 feet in length that are attracting buyers to the table.

Ocean Alexander 78 Yacht

The 2012 Ocean Alexander 78 ALEXANDRA represents one of the finest motor yachts in her class with less than 400 original hours, Zero Speed Trac stabilizers finished off with a stunning Destry Darr Interior. Powered by twin Caterpillar C18 ACERT engines (Approx. 397 hrs), she carries a three-stateroom layout plus crew quarters, making for an ideal cruising yacht, whether for an owner operator or crewed yacht. The previous owners transitioned from a a 62’ Ocean Alexander, falling in love with the spacious layout in the bigger 78′ model that could accommodate cruising requirements in Southern waters like Florida and on Lake Michigan in Chicago. This motoryacht offers more substance and more room, guaranteeing guest comfort in all cruising locations. _________________________________________________________________________________ More research: Review Similar Yachts | Review Ocean Alexander Reviews & Articles

2008 75′ Azimut Yacht

The 74-78 range is a strong market with continued demand and the Azimut 75 is a boat worth considering whether you’re moving up into a larger yacht or just getting started in the boating world. Although a different breed than the Ocean Alexander showing modern lines and euro interior she’s a sporty yacht that’s perfect for cruising up the coast or a trip to the Bahamas. This particular Azimut 75 is a great example of a well maintained boat cared for by professionals. A crew of two have been aboard full time since first delivery and it shows. Dark stained wood and cream leather highlight the modern and spacious interior. She’s an example of a yacht that is just as stylish in Monaco as it is in Miami. The best priced Azimut 75 on the market priced for a quick sale. ________________________________________________________________________ More research: Review Similar Yachts | Review Azimut Yachts Reviews & Articles

2005 80’ Mangusta Express Yacht

This 2005 Mangusta 80 is a real screamer, cruising at 37 knots she tops out at 44 knots. Imagine running from Miami to Bimmini or Cannes to Monaco for lunch with plenty of space for entertaining. This Mangusta’s beautifully crafted interior features highgloss teak woodwork and teak and holly soles. She has been very well maintained and represents one of the best values on the used yacht market. _________________________________________________________________________________ More research: Review Similar Yachts | Mangusta Reviews & Articles

2007 Horizon 76

2006 80 Hatteras Enclosed Bridge Motor Yacht

Boarding this Hatteras 80 one is immediately aware that she is the American heavy weight of this class. Her light Anigre woodwork really brightens the salon and formal dinning area. Head up the stairs to the fully enclosed bridge and one will find a full office. The full beam master features his and her heads and plenty of cedar lined storage. The Hatteras 80 is offered in both an open flybridge as well as a fully enclosed sky lounge if you’re heading north. If she is too large checkout the 72 Hatteras Motor Yacht featured below. _________________________________________________________________________________ More research: Review Similar Yachts | Hatteras Reviews & Articles

2007 78 Hargrave Motor Yacht

2006 84’ Choey Lee Motor Yacht

This 84′ raised pilothouse features a number of key selling features including rich mahogany paneling in the salon and a circular staircase that winds up to the flybridge and down to the staterooms. Buyers will note Wolf stainless steel oven units in the galley, while the master stateroom holds a King’s berth with storage drawers and walk-in closets. This motoryacht is generously powered by twin Caterpillar C-30 (1,550 HP each) diesel engines,fresh water cooled with an electronic injection/governor. The yacht is currently located in Peurto Rico and priced to sell.

________________________________________________________________________ More research: Review Similar Yachts | Cheoy Lee Reviews & Articles

2010 Hatteras 72′ Motor Yacht

2004 Sunseeker 75 Manhattan Yacht

The 75 Sunseeker Manhattan continues to be one of the best selling yachts on the market today. They all feature four generous staterroms as well as pleasant woodwork and leather interiors. They are known to be great running sea boats and their MAN engines are very reliable. There are currently two of these Sunseeker 75s available today in the US market. _________________________________________________________________________________ More research: Review Similar Yachts | Sunseeker Reviews & Articles

2008 Vicem 72 Classic Yacht

2011 Marlow 78 Motor Yacht

This nearly new yacht is the long range cruiser of the bunch. An enclosed pilothouse and 3500 gallons of fuel makes this Marlow Explorer the expedition leader. Grab handles on the ceiling will allow her adventurous owner to move freely no matter the sea state. Berth space for ten guests in four staterooms insures no one will be left behind. _________________________________________________________________________________ Marlow Reviews & Articles

Lazzara 75 LSX Sport Yacht

One of five 75 Lazzaras currently on the market, this 2007 model is the nicest available. New paint in 2010 and fresh varnish on her aft cap rails really set her apart from her competition. The galley down arrangement is very unique in that it gets natural light from the windshield. Her quad Volvo IPS 600s power this Lazzara 75 to 27 knot cruise speed. Tip: We recently listed a 116′ Lazzara for sale that will appeal to buyers who wish to move up to higher length ranges in the future. In 2014, the owners spent over $250,000 to keep her in ‘mint’ condition. _________________________________________________________________________________ More research: Review Similar Yachts | Lazarra Reviews & Articles

FURTHER INSIGHT…

While the 70-80 foot motoryacht range is a natural sweet spot for international buyers also consider these two standout yachts in the 60-70 range and 80-90 foot range respectively. We consider them uniquely suited to the market, displaying a level of design and performance maturity that will appeal to luxury-minded American families.

BELOW 70 FEET: DYNA 60

ABOVE 80 FEET: HORIZON E88

PURCHASING A YACHT

We have a number of additional research and selling tools available to help you narrow down your dream motoryacht. If you currently own a yacht, also consider leveraging our HD film services to help you film a free motoryacht video to accompany a future sale while you pursue purchasing a new yacht.

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TGYG LIFESTYLE BLOG

70 foot yacht guide: finding your perfect yacht.

• June 18, 2019

The 70 foot yacht range often represents a demarcation in yachting. Vessels below this size range are often owner-operated whereas once yacht owners get into the 70 foot range, owners typically do not operate the yacht themselves. The 70 foot yacht is also just shy of what most consider to be the superyacht category. For instance,  Boat International  tracks superyacht sales and production data of yachts worldwide that are at least 24 meters in length (78-79 feet).

As the yacht size increases, the complexity of the purchase can also increase. While we often still begin with general use case questions such as what the yacht will be used for, how many guests should it accommodate and where do you plan to travel with the yacht, there are other important elements to consider when purchasing a 70 foot yacht. Considerations such as build quality, yacht type, cruising speed, propulsion options and more are all important elements to thoroughly examine.

Understanding the various yacht types is key to matching the right 70 foot yacht to your needs. Express yachts (can be referred to as express cruisers or sport cruisers) typically refer to yachts with a single deck above the hull and a living space below deck. These yachts often catch the eyes of onlookers as they are sleek and sporty.

Express yachts can be further grouped by looking at the hard top or enclosure. Typically the hard top express yacht either offers a semi-enclosure or full-enclosure for the operator. An open express yacht is different, however, in that it has maximum space for sun with little to no shade on deck. The open express can sometimes be referred to as a “Mediterranean” style yacht.

The flybridge or sedan bridge yacht refers to a yacht that includes an additional space above the main deck. This additional level can include seating and control station. Often times since the flybridge above is present, the main deck will have an enclosed space. The flybridge itself can be open air or enclosed.

Interior Layout

When yachts get into the 70 foot range, the interior layout can include a wide variety of options to suit your particular yachting lifestyle. Yachts in this range often have a spacious main deck salon with excellent seating, dining and entertaining spaces. Down below, the yachts will often have four or more cabins plus crew quarters. Newer yachts feature impressive full beam master bedrooms that come with remarkable spaciousness and the latest amenities. Quite often, a flybridge includes additional seating and control station.

Finishes and interior designs can vary widely depending on the model and age of the yacht. Commissioning a new yacht build of course means that owners can provide input and select particular finishes and features to meet their needs and tastes.

Considerations When Buying A 70 Foot Yacht

If you’re relatively new to yachting, it can be good to get some experience. Taking time to  charter a yacht  in various destinations can help you narrow down what yacht you wish to buy. Getting familiar through actual use of different yacht types can be very helpful. What features and amenities are important to you? What kind of crew do you anticipate needing? Are you looking for a smaller, more easy-to-operate yacht or are you looking for the most luxurious yachting experience while cruising longer distances? Experience is truly the best way to get closer to accurate answers to these questions.

Understanding your estimated budget for a yacht purchase is a crucial element in narrowing down your options. While understanding that there is always a bigger and more expensive yacht, identify a price range that you are comfortable with while also factoring in crew, maintenance and operating expenses.

Once you identify the yacht type and price range, with the assistance of a yacht broker, you can begin identifying potential options. If considering used yachts, buyers will always encounter the trade-off between age and size. A newer and smaller boat can often cost the same or more than a larger vessel with more years. Of course, newer boats may have less maintenance and upkeep costs while also providing updated technology and features. It’s at this point where an experienced yacht broker can really provide tremendous value. Understanding your needs and budget, a yacht broker can provide excellent advice on selecting yachts to target for purchase that will lead to years of enjoyment and minimal stress.

Custom designing a new yacht can be a thrilling process for owners. Essentially, the owner can provide input at the earliest design phases of the process. The entire design and build process can take years, and the owner experiences taking the yacht from design concept to launch. A semi-custom approach is also available through a number of yacht manufacturers where the owner is essentially purchasing a production model and providing customizations during the build process. Again, talking through your needs and goals with a yacht broker can lead to the most optimal outcome.

Hiring the necessary and appropriate crew for your yacht is an important consideration where many yacht owners can make mistakes. TGYG’s yacht brokers have experience advising on the crew hiring process for yachts of all sizes. Consulting your yacht broker during this process can lead to ensuring the right personnel are in place and to potentially saving quite a bit of money.

Lastly, resale value of the yacht is also an important consideration. The degree to which your yacht holds its value will be based on a number of factors including the quality of the build and finish, maintenance of the vessel during the years of operation, the age of the boat and the overall market conditions at the time of sale. Discuss with your yacht broker the potential variance in resale between the yachts being considered for purchase. An experienced yacht broker who knows the market can provide guidance and help advise on how much this should be taken into consideration at the time of purchase.

As you can tell, working with an experienced yacht broker that you trust is crucial when pursuing a 70 foot yacht or bigger. With the complexity of the vessels and the many variables to consider, a yacht broker that truly knows the product can be the difference between a yacht purchase that leads to minimal stress and years of enjoyment for you and your family and a purchase that can lead to stressful ownership and regret.

Tom George Yacht Group yacht brokers pride themselves on establishing life-long relationships with clients. Our clients’ long-term enjoyment with their desired yachting lifestyle is our focus. This is evidenced by our trustworthy guidance and assistance throughout not just the purchase process but through years of ownership as well.  Contact us today  if you have questions about your yachting needs.

New 70 Foot Yachts to Consider

Hatteras gt70 convertible sportfish.

The GT70 is engineered to excel under tough conditions, while offering a host of features and amenities that define the premium sportfish category. It is built on a variable deadrise bottom with a sharp entry and powered by standard twin CAT C-32A diesels (or optional MTUs). And with a cruise range in the mid-30s and top-end speed over 40 knots, it is a workhorse with the bearing and grace of a thoroughbred.

Inside, you’ll find a lavish interior, from the gourmet galley and spacious salon to the five-stateroom, four-head accommodations. In taking cues from the celebrated Hatteras style and legendary performance, the GT70 offers the ultimate tournament sportfishing platform.  Click here to read more about the Hatteras GT70 .

Hatteras M75 Panacera

The M75 features a gorgeous full-beam master suite in addition to a private VIP stateroom and designer-inspired twin staterooms for your guests. Along with a generous array of fine amenities, the M75 also offers the ability to introduce a range of custom details to ensure the yacht bears your personal stamp. The Tom George Yacht Group team has delivered custom builds of the M75 Panacera to clients and is quite familiar with the model. Contact TGYG to discuss further if interested.  Click here to read more about the Hatteras M75 Panacera .

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14 Great Pocket Cruisers in 2023

• By Victor Tan
• Updated: July 20, 2023

Pocket cruisers and mini yachts are generally vessels under 50 feet in length overall, and can include express cruiser designs, flybridge yachts as well as either monohull or catamaran hull forms. They are cruising boats easily handled by a small, or even shorthanded, crew. Pocket cruisers generally have wave-taming hull designs and have the ability to take on sporty seas, offer comfortable accommodations belowdecks with one or two staterooms for extended voyages, “homelike amenities,” and the ability to cruise as slowly or as quickly as an owner desires with inboard- and outboard-power options. These pocket-cruising boats have the range for longer voyages , can pull up in skinny water at the sandbar thanks to shallow drafts, and head over the horizon where cruising adventure awaits. Pocket cruisers are true multitasking yachts. When it comes to family and couples cruising, it’s hard to beat a well-built and well-equipped and pocket cruiser.

Best Cruising Boats Under 50-Feet

The following 14 pocket cruisers and mini yachts are all vessels we’ve seen, been aboard, and tested. They are listed in no particular order.

• Hood 35 LM: high-tech, family-friendly pocket cruiser
• Galeon Yachts 375 GTO: mid-size boat with plenty of below-deck space
• Aquila 42: sleek power catamaran ready to entertain
• Azimut Verve 42 : small, yet mighty yacht ready for open water
• Hinckley Yachts 35: luxury picnic cruiser with range
• Beneteau Gran Turismo 45: sleek cruising yacht with all the amenities
• Solaris Power 48 Open: eye-catching power yacht with 360-degree views
• Cruisers Yachts 42 GLS: luxury cruiser yacht with powerful outboard options
• Back Cove 34O: modern outboard power combined with classic Downeast styling
• Picnic Boat 40: speedy and fuel-efficient vessel with great looks
• Aquila 36: comfortably seat up to 20 guests for fun on the salt
• Boston Whaler 350 Realm: multitasker built for fishing and entertaining
• MJM 35z: sporty, aesthetically pleasing, cruising-conscious features and elegant lines
• Greenline 39: sturdy-looking lines and environmentally-friendly power

When Android co-founder, Rich Miner, wanted a new family-friendly pocket cruiser , he turned to a custom-penned C.W. Hood design and a Lyman-Morse-built 35-footer, which has a timeless Down East profile matched to seriously modern technology under the hood.

This yacht looks like a traditional, cold-molded Down East dayboat, but actually, it has everything, from Hamilton HJX Series water-jet drives to a planned Sea Machines autonomous command-and-control system . Top speed: 40-plus knots.

Quick Specifications

Galeon yachts 375 gto.

Even the remnants of Hurricane Ian, couldn’t dissuade the Galeon Yacht 375 GTO from its cruising mission. The small yacht’s wave-splitting hull form is paired to torque-filled 600 hp Mercury Verado outboards , giving this fun-in-the-sun boat a 47-knot top hop.

The 375 GTO is a speedster, to be sure, but it’s also so much more. Just about every aspect of the main deck seating is transformable and multifunction, from the aft seating to the alfresco dining abaft the helm, and beyond. It also has a family-size and eminently cruise-worthy belowdecks space for four guests, all while providing a foredeck entertaining lounge too.

The Galeon Yachts 375 GTO ticks all the boxes for an easy-to-handle and sporty cruiser.

Aquila 42 Yacht Power Catamaran

Following the success of its 44-, 54- and 70-foot power catamaran models, Aquila has launched the stable-as-a-table, owner-operator-ready Aquila 42 Yacht Power Catamaran .

The Aquila 42 is the entry point into the builder’s yacht line and is noteworthy for its ability to accommodate anywhere from a two- to four-stateroom layout, depending on the owner’s cruising requirements. There are alfresco spaces to manage the sunset cruise with friends and family, including a foredeck lounge area that can be accessed via centerline steps from the flybridge. The Aquila 42 is available with several Volvo Penta diesel-engine options .

Azimut Verve 42

Want to cruise from Florida to Bimini in about an hour? The Azimut Yachts Verve 42 can do that thanks, in part, to triple 450 hp Mercury Racing outboards and a hull designed to dice-and-slice a seaway. Top hop: 45 knots. The Verve 42 also has style for miles with a fine entry, raked hardtop, and a razorlike sheerline accented by sweeping hull glass from bow to stern. It’s striking.

With accommodation for a family of four, the Verve 42 is also solid under the hull tokeep everyone safe on those passages. The Verve 42’s hull is built of fiberglass and uses vinylester resins for blister protection. The yacht’s deck and hardtop are comprised of carbon fiber for strength without added weight. This all means that the Azimut Verve 42 is built to CE Classification Type A , making it suitable for sea voyages where winds can exceed 45 mph and seas to 13 feet.

Hinckley Yachts 35

The Hinckley Yachts 35 takes everything that yachtsmen like about this pedigreed-brand’s classic profile and infuses today’s modern outboard power to create 40 knots of sheer fun wrapped in sheer luxury.

This 35-foot Hinckley is built on a Michael-Peters-penned hull form with a fine entry, wider-than-average chines and a moderate deadrise. While the boat is built to sprint when desired, it’s also a relatively economical cruiser. For instance, a comfortable 24-knot cruise the Hinckley Yachts 35 has a 276-nautical-mile range.

It also has a tech-build thanks to vacuum-infused carbon-fiber composites and epoxy resin. An integrated interior structure is infused with the hull adding rigidity. The hull is then post-cured in an 80-foot oven, further strengthening the structure.

Beneteau Gran Turismo 45

The Beneteau Gran Turismo is the flagship of the builder’s four-model GT series, which also includes 32-, 36- and 41-foot models.

The Gran Turismo 45 ’s cruise-centric layout includes two staterooms and two heads belowdecks, as well as a galley down. There is also a dinette for meals and a settee for rainy-day lounging. Entertaining guests and enjoying the sun is the primary mission of the main deck.

Solaris Power 48 Open

The Solaris Power 48 Open was the first powerboat from this longtime builder known for its sailing yachts, ranging from 40 to 110 feet length overall. The Solaris Power 48 Open is notable for its wave-slicing plumb-bow design, high freeboard forward and 32-knot-plus speed. Power is twin 480 hp Volvo Penta IPS650 diesels.

The high freeboard keeps the deck dry and help creates sizable volume belowdecks with an average 6-foot-6-inch headroom. This enables real estate for either one or two staterooms. With the single-stateroom setup, there is a forepeak master stateroom while an L-shaped settee converts to sleeping accommodations for family or occasional guests. Interior wood options are oak or walnut.

Cruisers Yachts 42 GLS

Outboard-power cruising aficionados will appreciate the triple-engine options for the Cruisers Yachts 42 GLS . The 42 GLS we got aboard had the triple 400 hp Mercury Verados , which produced a top hop of 45 knots, but triple 450 hp Verados are available. Triple 350 hp Mercury Verados are the standard engine option. No matter the power arrangement, this express cruiser can easily be used for wakeboarding and tube towing. The 42 GLS is designed to handle the rough stuff too, with a fine entry and 21-degree transom deadrise.

For cruising enthusiasts, the 42 GLS has a master stateroom with an athwartships and a nearly queen-size berth, and the lower salon’s U-shaped dinette converts to a queen-size berth for the kids.

Back Cove 34O

Combining modern outboard power with classic Downeast styling, the Back Cove 34O touts award-winning standards with cruising in mind. The 34O is equipped with twin 300 hp Yamaha outboards, engines that allow the Newport International Boat Show’s 2018 Best Powerboat Under 35 Feet winner to travel up to 214 nautical miles at 24 knots on a 250-gallon fuel tank.

Belowdecks, the 34O has an island double berth and a split-head arrangement with the toilet to port and a separate shower stall to starboard. On the main deck, a U-shape dinette to port accommodates four or more guests on the Back Cove Yachts vessel. The 34O’s galley is equipped with a Cuisinart microwave, a two-burner Kenyon electric cooktop and a Vitrifrigo fridge and freezer.

Picnic Boat 40

Hinckley Yachts unveiled its first Picnic Boat more than two decades ago. Now, after two previous, sub-40-foot models, the Maine-based boatbuilder has developed its largest and most advanced model to date: the Picnic Boat 40.

Twin 480 hp Cummins diesel engines paired to twin Hamilton 322 jet drives propel the yacht to a 30-knot cruising speed and 34 knots on the pins. With optional twin 550 hp Cummins diesels, cruise and top-end speeds jump to 35 and 38 knots, respectively.

There is an L-shaped settee with a table and a wet bar on the main deck to port. The helm station is forward and to starboard with a benchseat for two. There is also a companion seat across from the helm. Belowdecks, there is 6-foot-2-inch headroom, and the dinette table drops to form a California-king berth for overnights and weekending.

Aquila Power Catamarans started its line with 44- and 48-footers, and now the builder’s Aquila 36 takes the line into the midsize market.

The 36 features a single, main-living area from bow to stern, helped in part by the vessel’s 14-foot, 7-inch beam. The boat can comfortably seat up to 20 guests for fun on the salt. Several Mercury Verado engine options are available for the Aquila 36, including twin 250-, 300- and 350-hp four-strokes. With the 350s, the Aquila has a top-end speed of 37 knots.

Other notable features include a fiberglass hardtop, a dinette, a cooktop, a fridge, a sink and a smokeless grill. Belowdecks, there are two staterooms with nearly queen-size berths, en suite heads and 6-foot-6-inch headroom in each.

Boston Whaler 350 Realm

From fishing and entertaining guests to diving and overnight cruising, Boston Whaler ‘s 350 Realm is a multitasker. And it’s fast, too. It’s powered with either triple 300 hp or triple 350 hp Mercury Verados. The 350 Realm can reach a top speed of 46 knots.

At the helm, two Raymarine displays provide vital navigation data. The captain can take in the displays’ view from a doublewide helm seat. There’s a flip-down platform for standing when needed and a footrest when desired.

There is a V-shaped berth that converts into a double berth with a filler cushion. The separated head has a VacuFlush MSD and a hot-and-cold shower. Owners also have the option to add a microwave and a flat-screen TV.

The MJM 35z can reach a top speed of 44 knots and a cruising speed of 33 knots on its optional 350 hp Mercury Verado outboards; twin 300 hp outboards are standard on this MJM Yachts vessel. Additionally, the 35z can travel up to 304 nautical miles on its 250-gallon fuel tank.

The 35z has a flush-deck layout and to port is space for an electric grill, a baitwell, a sink, an ice maker and a fridge. There are two Stidd helm seats—one for the helmsman and the other for a copilot—that rotate to face the rest of the seating aft. In the cabin is V-shaped seating forward that can be converted to a berth.

Owners also have the option of adding a Seakeeper 3 gyrostabilizer and a full-length Bimini top to shade the cockpit.

Greenline 39

Greenline Yachts ‘ vessels are aptly named for their environmentally friendly means of moving about; the Greenline 39 is no different. The Slovenian yacht manufacturer produces two types of this model: hybrid and solar.

If owners opt for the latter, the 39’s four solar panels atop the salon power all of the vessel’s systems for three hours. With the power of the sun, the 39 can achieve a max speed of 6.5 knots and a cruising speed of 4 knots. The hybrid type uses those same panels to help power a 220 hp Volvo Penta D3 with a Mahle electric-drive system. Owners have the option of replacing the standard engine with a 370 hp Yanmar 8LV diesel.

Belowdecks, scissor berths provide accommodations for long weekends.

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9 Explorer Yachts Made to Cruise the World’s Most Remote Destinations

You don't need a 250-footer to reach the ends of the earth. serious explorer yachts now come in owner-operated 85-foot lengths., howard walker, howard walker's most recent stories.

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With last year seeing a record number of explorer-style yachts under construction, it’s clear a new generation of superyacht buyer is no longer content to jostle for moorings in crowded harbors of the Med or Caribbean. They want open space and adventure.

Expedition yachts have traditionally been converted freighters or supply vessels, like the 223-foot Ragnar or 250-foot Yersin. But this new generation of compact superyachts, many below 150 feet, is designed for  similar missions in smaller packages, thanks to utilitarian hull designs and expanded fuel capacities.

One in this group is designed to be self-sufficient for 30 days as it explores remote regions. Another has a top speed of 25 knots, giving it the ability to outrun storms. Several have enough rear deck space to land a helicopter.

Name-brand builders such as Holland’s Damen and Italy’s Sanlorenzo and Cantiere delle Marche have been joined by a number of specialist Turkish yards, like Bering and AvA, in offering capable, adventure-ready vessels with luxury interiors.

Here are nine of the finest. Most are new, but we’ve included several recent launches, and even a decade-old classic, to show just how far this field has come.

Damen SeaXplorer 58 ‘Pink Shadow’

Nothing screams “explorer yacht” louder than the 190-foot SeaXplorer 58 Pink Shadow from Damen Yachting. This oceangoing beast was just launched from the Dutch brand’s yard in Antalya, Turkey. The heavily customized Pink Shadow (it’s painted green) has a towering, ice-crushing, vertical bow and a distinctive open forward gallery. The boat is designed to explore the most remote corners of the globe. The vessel can be completely self-sufficient for up to a month, with the ability to cruise at 11.5 knots for over 5,000 nautical miles. Need to fly in more supplies? There’s a basketball-court-sized helipad at the stern. The yacht’s huge in-hull garages can also be filled with a fleet of toys, including two multipurpose tenders, motorcycles, ATVs, and a 4×4 SUV, plus a custom 37-foot racing sailboat.

Lynx Crossover 27 ‘Avontuur’

Paint numbers on the bow and you might mistake this new 88-foot explorer from Lynx Yachts for a military vessel. There’s even space on the open aft deck for a Navy SEAL–style RIB. But the Crossover 27 is all about adventure (“Avontuur” is the Dutch word for exactly that.) Designed by Holland’s Bernd Weel with a hull shape by Diana Yacht Design, the Lynx comes with a pair of 850-horse Caterpillars that can power it to a top speed of 14 knots. At 10 knots, it has a range of over 3,000 nautical miles. This first example was commissioned for an adventure-loving Californian who had the 750-square-foot aft deck designed to carry both an Air Nautique G23 wakeboard boat and 16-foot RIB. The garage on the deck below can transport Jet Skis, paddleboards, and scuba gear.

One of the baseline requirements for legitimate explorer yachts is that they be safe and stable in rough seas. Which is why the 85-foot explorer is so impressive. With no fewer than three stabilizer systems, the Arksen can stay upright even if slammed side-on by some Perfect Storm– sized rogue wave. The all-aluminum hull is even designed to recover from a 180-degree knockdown. The Arksen’s semi-displacement hull and glass-filled superstructure come from U.K.-based Humphries Yacht Design. Twin, heavy-duty 330 hp Cummins diesels give the boat a top speed of 14 knots. At nine knots, it has an astonishing range of 7,000 nautical miles.

Sanlorenzo 500EXP ‘Para Bellum’

The 154-foot 500EXP , the newest and biggest addition to the yard’s luxury explorer yacht range, has space for a helicopter on its stern. It also features an ice-crushing full-displacement steel hull and towering bow that gives it serious expedition cred. But the 500EXP is designed to cruise to the most remote corners of the planet in comfort. The vessel has a range of more than 4,500 nautical miles at 11 knots with the twin 970-horse Cat C32s powerplants. Below decks, the generous 31-foot beam delivers copious amounts of space for 10 guests in five cabins. The latest version of the yacht, the gray-hulled Para Bellum , can now be chartered from $300,000 a week. Helicopter not included.

Alpha Yachts Alfresco 125 ‘Piccolo’

Turkey’s Alpha Custom Yachts go-anywhere 125-foot Piccolo focuses on big spaces to enjoy the great outdoors. The flybridge itself sprawls across 1,180 square feet, with features such as a plunge pool up front and uncluttered entertaining spaces at the rear. The sleek, clean lines are from Britain’s H2 Yacht Design, with the semi-displacement fiberglass hull from naval architects Laurent Giles. And unlike most explorer yachts, the boat is fast. Twin Caterpillar C32s can punch her to a top speed of 17.5 knots, though throttle back to 10 and it will cover over 2,300 nautical miles. The first in the Alfresco 125 series, Piccolo, was launched in 2020. It is now on the market for $12.5 million.

Bering B145 ‘Heeus’

The flagship of Turkey’s Bering Yachts is the 145-foot Heeus . It has a range of over 4,600 miles, which means it can run from San Francisco to Hawaii, and back, on a single tank of fuel at 12 knots. In addition to its twin main Caterpillar engines, the B145 can also be powered by electric motors and batteries. The hybrid system is designed to ease the yacht silently into more eco-sensitive anchorages and run overnight without generators. The outside decks are huge—the sundeck alone spans almost 1,000 square feet. The boat is available for weekly charter this summer for around €230,000 ($250,000).

AvA Yachts Kando 110 Explorer ‘Infinity-Nine’

AvA’s Kando110 Explorer series hit the headlines last November after it emerged that the Turkish yard’s newest launch had been purchased by former San Antonio Spurs’ basketball star Tony Parker. He called the boat Infinity Nine . The 110-foot, steel-and-aluminum world-girder was designed to crisscross the Atlantic, courtesy of its 6,500 mile range and fuel-sipping 650 hp Volvo D16 diesels. Distinguished by a four-deck layout, towering topsides, and expansive hull-side glass, the Kando110 has six staterooms, including a 290-square-foot full-beam master.

CdM Flexplorer 130 ‘Aurelia’

Superyacht cranes have never been this cool. The towering A-frame heavy-lifter on the rear deck of CdM 130 Flexplorer Aurelia can lift and launch the yacht’s hefty 28-foot tender over the stern without breaking a sweat—in fact, it can hoist up to 3.5 tonnes. But even more impressive is that, when stowed, the crane disappears completely into recesses in the yacht’s teak deck. Sergio Cutolo’s Hydro Tec studio did the yacht design. The Flexplorer series lives up to its name: Yachts can be built from 127 to 154 feet. Power-wise, Aurelia , the first of the series, has twin Caterpillar C32s to give a 14-knot top speed. At 10 knots, it has a 5,000-nautical-mile range.

Canados Oceanic 143 Fast Expedition

Traditional explorer yachts tend to chug across oceans at single-digit speeds. But there are times when you need to outrun a storm or punch against a fast-flowing tide. That’s the beauty of Italian builder Canados’s new Oceanic 143 tri-deck: speed. Powered by three 2,400hp Caterpillar C32 12-cylinder turbo diesels, the boat can reach a top speed of 25 knots. With a fuel capacity of 8,320 gallons, if you ease back to an eight-knot cruise speed, range extends to over 6,000 miles. Much of this comes down to the yacht’s innovative “Dis-planing” hull (see image above). Canados gave it the unusual name because the design is a rare combination of “displacement” and “planing”—topped off by a wave-slicing, straked-bow design.

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• Bering Yachts
• Expedition Yachts

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A versatile sub 70 foot ocean sailboat that offers the perfect combination of space and sailing capability

The Oyster 675. Adventure awaits.

Capable of taking you anywhere in the world effortlessly – sail this ocean sailboat shorthanded, with family and friends, or with a crew.

Provisioned for adventure

This 70 foot sailboat’s mighty hull offers luxury living space for eight friends, family or crew and all the stowage and tank capacity you need for long-distance adventures.

Sail with ease

Automated push-button sailing technology delivers effortless shorthanded sailing, and impeccable performance for fast, exhilarating passage-making on this 70 foot sailboat.

Space to enjoy

The Oyster 675 offers a variety of entertaining spaces, with a generous cockpit, open fore and aft decks, and a large welcoming saloon which connects seamlessly to the well-appointed u-shaped galley.

LOCAL EXPERTISE

For new yacht sales and our service operation in the Americas, visit our offices in the heart of the US East coast sailing scene, Newport, Rhode Island. We would be delighted to help.

The Oyster 675 is the centrepiece of the Oyster fleet, featuring iconic Oyster styling and a powerful hull form with twin rudders and extended transom option.

Specified for performance and adventure

The oyster 675 is a beautifully proportioned 70 foot sailboat with a huge hull volume that makes her extremely versatile, with a wide variety of customised build options..

Well provisioned as an ocean sailboat, with large tankage, ample space above and below decks and plenty of stowage, including a vast, full-width lazarette. The spacious and sheltered cockpit, with space for eight features audio and a built-in refrigerator. Choose from the standard or optional extended transom, both of which can accommodate a telescopic passerelle along with a hydraulic bathing platform for easy access into the water and dinghy.

Unlike a production 70 foot yacht for sale, the Oyster 675 is a true bluewater adventure machine, designed and built to our meticulous and renowned build quality.

The knowledge, experience and skill of Humphreys’ naval architects, combined with Oyster’s in-house design studio and our craftspeople ensure complete reassurance and confidence at sea. The excellent stability is further enhanced by the intelligent placement of utilities throughout the hull form.

Her hull and deck are Lloyd’s Register certified. Constructed using the highest quality materials, her reinforced, monolithic composite hull structure offers superior strength, stiffness and weight optimisation. With further reinforcement in the slam zones and keel area, she is strong, safe and robust, built to adapt to any conditions, from the calm waters of the Mediterranean to challenging ocean passages. With her inspiring sailing capability and large sail locker for downwind sails, it should come as no surprise owners consider her the best 70 foot sailboat for long-distance bluewater adventures.

The Oyster 675 is a joy to sail shorthanded or with a crew. Her powerful 70 foot twin rudder hull form makes sailing a pure pleasure.

Despite her substantial displacement, the Oyster 675 is responsive and fast-moving, delivering consistently fast passage-making speed. Our design team have gone to extreme lengths to consider every aspect of the sailing experience to make her equally suited to shorthanded sailing or cruising with a full crew. When manoeuvring in tight spots, the retractable bow and stern thrusters, fitted as standard, provide complete control.

The ergonomically designed twin helm stations feature large helm seats with backrests, grab handles and sunken footwells for protection if conditions turn rough. She features a hydraulic push-button, in-mast furling and headsail furling is set up as standard. All navigation and automated sailing controls are located on the twin helm stations, with winches positioned within easy reach.

Designed to make life aboard relaxed and comfortable on extended passages, every convenience is incorporated into your customised interior design.

Designed for the way you live

The oyster 675 interiors can be customised to accommodate a variety of family, friends and crew..

Interior layouts include three double ensuite guest cabins, with a generous owner’s cabin with ensuites positioned fore or aft. Another option offers two double ensuite guest cabins and a separate crew cabin.

Balancing practicality and style the volume below deck accommodates every comfort. Notable features include standing-height ceilings, full-sized appliances in the galley, air conditioning and Oysters’ proprietary mood lighting system. The light and spacious saloon is naturally ventilated through the forward-opening saloon windows. The generous cabins feature quality deep mattresses, mirrors, island berths, cedar-lined wardrobes, and plenty of stowage and the ensuite heads have seamless walk-in shower trays and quiet flush toilets. As a result, the Oyster 675 offers a contemporary, luxurious home-from-home living space.

Below decks, this 70 foot yacht is designed for effortless and enjoyable living.

Considered design and space planning offers stylish, contemporary living spaces, proudly crafted and hand-finished in tried and trusted materials, including hand-selected hardwoods in oak or walnut.

The wide companionway and intuitively placed grab handles hint at considered practicality and safety throughout the Oyster 675. The large, welcoming saloon has wraparound windows above and triple Seascape windows in the hull, making it feel light and spacious, with magnificent panoramic views. The u-shaped galley opens onto the saloon, making it an integral part of this relaxed social space. Fully equipped, it has room for a large fridge freezer, microwave, cooker and built-in extractor fan. The generous saloon table seats eight comfortably and is perfect for gatherings of friends, family and crew.

Reflecting its long-distance capabilities, the latest technology is key to the Oyster 675’s versatility, comfort and work aboard potential.

The generous navigation station doubles as the ideal work-aboard space and technology hub, with an optional PC, lift-top large desk, plotter, VHF radio, power management, generator control, switchboard, and plenty of power sockets. It is also home to the Oyster Command™ system. This intuitive digital switching system connects everything from entertainment, utilities and lighting to monitoring systems. It can also be accessed from the helm station and optional additional touchscreens fitted in cabins.

There are a variety of infotainment and connectivity options available to meet every preference and to keep the yacht connected wherever she is in the world.

Entries open for the Oyster World Rally 2028-29. Embark on the sailing adventure of a lifetime

The joy of Oyster ownership

There is more than just pride on offer when it comes to owning an Oyster 675. Every new Oyster comes with a comprehensive warranty, personalised care, access to our global service network, unrivalled support, life-changing experiences and so much more.

On an Oyster the world is yours.

OYSTER OWNERSHIP

Ownership benefits rarely experienced in marine

QUICK LINKS

More information

TECHNICAL DETAILS

Specifications & features

Lloyd’s register certified hull and deck moulding.

675 hulls and deck mouldings meet EU RCDII standards, with strength, integrity and build quality also certified by Lloyd’s Register.

Hydraulic in-mast and headsail furling

Push-button Seldén hydraulic headsail furling and in-mast mainsail furling, combined with the swept-back rig, make precision control and shorthanded sailing possible.

Retractable hydraulic bow and stern thrusters

Powerful Sleipner Sidepower retractable bow and stern thrusters enable easy, close-quarters manoeuvring.

Hand-built oak & walnut interior

Hand-crafted joinery runs throughout the interiors, in beautiful hand-selected oak timber with a satin finish varnish. Crown cut, random width, and walnut veneered boards create solid cabin soles, with soft carpets enhancing the luxurious feel of the owner and guest cabins.

The Onan 11kw 4-cylinder diesel generator is more than capable of running all your 240v appliances. Almost silent in operation, it is easy to operate and monitor from the control panel in the navigation station.

Seascape windows

The interior is beautifully lit throughout, with two sets of Seascape windows in the saloon and two in the owner’s cabin with Oceanair manual blinds for privacy when moored in a marina.

Air conditioning

Keep the interior at the perfect temperature with air conditioning that cools and heats. Controls in each cabin provide guests with the ability to adjust temperature based on personal requirements. The system runs efficiently from the generator or a 230v dockside supply.

Interior layout configuration

The Oyster 675 offers two layouts to suit requirements, but the volume provides the opportunity for further customisation. With all three cabin configurations, there is a useful bunk room with two bunks situated amidships on the starboard side.

Wood options

In addition to the standard oak interior, hand-crafted maple, cherry or walnut woods can be selected to add a timeless feel to a contemporary Oyster interior.

Bathing platform

The generous, hydraulic-operated bathing platform, laid with teak decking and a drop-in stainless-steel ladder, offers easy access to the water. The bumper bar posts allow safe docking for the tender.

Extended transom

Enjoy the additional storage space in the full-width lazarette – a hidden benefit of the extra space created on the aft deck with our extended transom option.

Hull colours

Make the Oyster 675 your own with a choice of hull, mast and sail colours to suit your personal taste. You can also specify creative vinyl wrap and paint options to make an instantly recognisable look.

Hydraulic passerelle

The retractable hydraulic Besenzoni 2.7m passerelle is neatly hidden in the transom. Sleek and stylish, it has a teak footboard and a painted or polished stainless-steel finish. Operate from the cockpit, with a remote control or even from your smartphone.

Plans and interior layouts

Colour inspiration

The Oyster 675

Join us at our upcoming boat shows to see our stunning new generation bluewater cruisers

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Oyster 675 long-term review

The Oyster Fleet

Explore other models

The new Oyster 595, a 60 foot sailing yacht capable of great things.

A crewed 75 foot cruising yacht designed for very big adventures.

An exhilarating 90 foot sailing yacht, delivering comfort and safety.

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Oyster owner and F1 legend Adrian Newey reveals his future plans in an exclusive interview with Eddie Jordan

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Experience the sailing adventure of a lifetime in real-time. The Oyster World Rally 2024-25

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Elaine bunting reviews the new oyster 885gt.

LUXURY CHARTER

Experience exhilarating sailing, luxury and style on an oyster charter. personal, exclusive and uniquely oyster.

Oyster 825 iSNL

Phenomenal opportunity to own an incredible lightly used 2019 oyster 825.

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Personalised care, unforgettable experiences and lifelong yacht support, oyster world rally.

Follow the Oyster World Rally 2024-25 fleet live

Winner of European Yacht of the Year 2023. She sets a new 50 foot bluewater benchmark, offering a stunning combination of sailing performance, comfort, safety and luxurious living space.

Heralding a new generation of Oysters, this 60 foot bluewater cruiser is a sailing yacht for all oceans. Practical and well-provisioned for long distance sailing or cruising in coastal waters.

The much-anticipated Oyster 595 is well-proportioned and extremely versatile. Offering exciting, customised build options with no compromise, she is capable of great things.

A versatile sub-70 foot sailboat offering the perfect balance of size and practicality. She can be sailed shorthanded effortlessly or take a full crew and up to eight friends and family.

This long range 75 foot cruising yacht is designed for very big adventures. A joy to sail yourself, she also boasts dedicated crew quarters.

Oyster 885SII

An exhilarating 90 foot sailing yacht, delivering comfort and safety with uncompromising performance. She is capable of taking you anywhere in the world effortlessly, in luxury and style.

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Used Motor Yachts for Sale from 60 to 70 Feet

Listed below are used motor yachts for sale from 60 to 70 feet in length. Motor yachts vary greatly in their hull design, interior accommodations, engine packages, and performance capabilities. They often feature multiple staterooms for owners and guests as well as bathrooms, showers, full galleys and a wide range of other amenities to make life on board very comfortable and luxurious. SYS Yacht Sales offers a wide range of yachts for sale including Flybrige yachts, Aft Cabin Yachts, Pilothouse Yachts, Convertibles, Trawlers, Sportfish, Express Cruisers and much more. Don't see the vessel you're looking for here? Contact our experienced yacht brokers for assistance, we look forward to helping you find the yacht that's right for you.

Johnson 70 Motor Yacht Sky-Lounge

Maiora FIPA 70' Flybridge

Pershing 70

Monte Carlo Marine 70

Hatteras Cockpit Motor Yacht

Seanfinity T7

Pershing 7X

Sans Souci VIII

Horizon 70 Motor Yacht

Livin wright.

Farmont 70 Expedition Yacht

Ocean Alexander 70e

Outer Reef Yachts 700 MY

Zero Dimension

Princess Flybridge Motor Yacht

Prestige 690

Ocean Alexander Pilothouse Motor Yacht

Island girl.

Viking Sport Cruisers 70 Motor Yacht

Somewhere I Belong

Princess V70

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25 Sailboats Under 40′

• By Cruising World Staff
• Updated: March 25, 2014

Catalina 275 Sport

“This is a complete package; it’s a good sailing boat and well-thought-out. It’s definitely ready for prime time,” says Boat of the Year judge Ed Sherman. Click here to read why the Catalina 275 Sport won Best Pocket Cruiser in 2014.

Beneteau First 30

As they approached the First 30 to conduct their dockside evaluation during the boat show, the BOTY judges may have been just a little skeptical of this performance-oriented 30-footer’s cruisability. But that skepticism turned into appreciation as soon as they stepped below, and they were downright enamored with how the boat sailed. Click here to read why the Beneteau First 30 won Best Small Cruiser, 20 feet and Under in 2011.

The Presto 30 is an innovative, well-built, good looking cruising boat that satisfied its stated design brief as well as any other boat the judges looked at, though it’s not what you might expect from an average cruising boat. Cruising World judges also noted that this easy-to-handle boat may attract new sailors to the sport so they can learn the ropes and then trade up to another model, an approach that’s important to the health of the entire industry. Click here to read how the Presto 30 won the Cruising Spirit Award in 2011.

Catalina 309

“I think that for the purpose it was put on the water, to be able to walk down, jump aboard, and simply go enjoy it on a weekend, the boat not only hit the price in terms of value but also hit the mark in terms of use,” remarked judge Alvah Simon, a world voyager. Click to read why the Catalina 309 won Domestic Boat of the Year for 2007 .

The J/95’s retractable centerboard and dual rudders make it possible to sail in just 3 feet of water. During our dockside visit, designer Rod Johnstone told us that he wanted to build a comfortable coastal cruiser that could keep people sailing by providing “high performance in shallow water,” and the J/95 did exactly what Rod said it would. Click here to read how it won Best Weekender and Domestic Boat of the Year for 2010.

Catalina 315

This nifty pocket cruiser raises the Catalina quality bar with more comfort and better performance. It’s the little things that make this boat special, including the tall rig, the wide cockpit, the large anchor locker, the sprit for the asymmetric kite, and the clever use of space below. Click here to read how the Catalina 315 won Best Inshore Cruiser for 2013.

The Delphia 33 is a boat that’s maximized every inch of available space, and the overall fit and finish, from the joiner work to the systems installation to the structural integrity of the boat, is well done. Click here to read why the Delphia 33 won Import Boat of the Year in 2008.

“With this introductory cruiser, Hunter is trying to bring people up through its ranks and into cruising from trailer-sailers and smaller boats,” said Alvah Simon. “And the company has done that with a 33-footer that has quality and affordability but is still manageable and unintimidating.” Click here to read why the Hunter e33 won Best Compact Cruiser for 2012.

C&C 101

The 33-foot C&C 101 boasts thoroughly modern lines and a nice turn of speed but also features a fine layout belowdecks, with cherry furniture and a teak cabin sole. Click here to read why the C&C 101 won Domestic Boat of the Year and Best Performance Cruiser in 2013.

This dual-purpose cruiser is both easy to handle and zippy on the racecourse. Click here to read why the X-34 won Best Racer-Cruiser for 2009.

Beneteau 34

This affordable performance cruiser is a blast to sail, with details often lacking on more expensive boats. Click here to read a boat review of the Beneteau 34. Click here to read why the Beneteau 34 won the award for Best Value in 2009.

Tartan 3400

The Tartan 3400, with double cabins fore and aft, was still sufficiently nimble and distinctive to cop the 2006 Boat of the Year award for Best Production Cruiser from 31 to 36 Feet. Click here to read more.

The BOTY judges found lots on which to agree as they proclaimed the Najad 355 to be the Best Small Cruiser of 2008: great sails, solid motion through the water, practical interior, well-laid-out deck. Click here to read more.

Catalina 355

Two themes—consideration and principles—epitomize the Catalina 355. Click here to read why it won Domestic Boat of the Year in 2011.

Sabre Spirit

Andrew Burton found the 36-foot Sabre Spirit boat not only easily handled and fast but also a sheer delight to sail; no wonder it won the Judges’ Choice Award in Cruising World’s 2008 Boat of the Year contest. Click here to read more .

Island Packet Estero

Comfortable surroundings are easily driven by a fully self-tending and roller-furling rig on the 36-foot Island Packet Estero. Click here to read why it won Best Midsize Cruiser Under 40 feet in 2010.

Hallberg-Rassy 37

Like the Swedes who manufacture it, the Hallberg-Rassy 37 is a hardy sailer. The boat’s seakindly performance gives the assurance that it can take you anywhere, and once you get aboard, that’s exactly where you’ll want to go. Click here to read why it won Import Boat of the Year in 2006.

Malö 37 Classic

This purpose-built craft is a dream to steer and a delight to the eyes. Click here to read how it won Import Boat of the Year for 2009. Click here to read a full boat review.

Catalina 375

Solid construction and thoughtful amenities make life onboard this boat more comfortable. Click here to read why the Catalina 375 won Best All-Purpose Cruiser, 30 to 40 Feet in 2009.

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 379

This midsize offering from Jeanneau has a modern look and is ready for sea. Click here to read why it won Domestic Boat of the Year and Best Midsize Cruiser for 2012.

“This very responsive sailboat scoots along quite nicely, I think as well as anything we sailed in this fleet,” says Boat of the Year judge Mark Schrader. Click here to read why the Dehler 38 won Best Cruising Sailboat Under 38 Feet in 2014.

Better-than-expected performance, good design ideas, and follow-through in their execution led to the Hunter 38 winning Best Production Cruiser Under 40 feet for 2005. Click here to read more.

Who says a cruising cat under 40 feet isn’t big enough for comfortable accommodations? The 38’s hulls are narrow where they meet the water for performance purposes but flare out to create ample interior space. Click here to read why the Leopard 38 won Import Boat of the Year in 2010.

Seawind 1160

This 38-foot cat will appeal to cruisers who want a well-built boat that can sail away in a hurry. Click here to read why the Seawind 1160 won Best Multihull Cruiser and Most Innovative Boat for 2007.

“The company is mixing traditional aesthetics with modern gear–from the carbon rudder to tweakers on the jib tracks, and it works really well,” said Boat of the Year judge Steve Callahan of the Sabre 386. Click here to read why it was named Domestic Boat of the Year for 2005.

• More: 21 - 30 ft , 31 - 40 ft , Boat Gallery , Boat of the Year , Photo Galleries , Sailboat Reviews , Sailboats
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Top 6 Motor Yachts Under 100 Feet [New + Brokerage]

The best motor yachts you can buy between 60 and 100 feet in the united states..

Motor yachts are powered by single or twin engines — some equipped with two to four pod drives providing added maneuverability and joystick steering in close quarters. They can make voyages across oceans, zip through large rivers, or navigate the Great Lakes. Motor yachts are perfect for saltwater fishing, overnight boating, and day cruising and can be anywhere from 40 to 100 feet long.

Popular motor yacht brands include Beneteau , Sunseeker , Horizon , Azimut , Benetti , Sea Ray , and Johnson . Motor yachts are built with outstanding innovation to encompass superyacht qualities without the extensive size. We’re featuring the top 6 motor yachts under 100 feet, currently for sale with Denison Yachting .

1. 87’ Johnson 2004

This beautiful 87′ Johnson , named Illusion is updated after a refit in 2018/2019. She boasts a generous beam of almost 24 feet — which is wide for vessels of this length — but it allows comfortable walkways around the entire exterior from stern to bow. Her spacious interior includes a large salon, four staterooms, a luxury dining area, alfresco dining aft with enclosed sunshades, and a large galley. A massive sun pad on the bow lets everyone enjoy ample sun while sipping cocktails. This stunning 87’ Johnson has a major price reduction and will be near the 2020 Fort Lauderdale Boat Show .

Best feature: Great value for her size.

2. 67’ Van der Valk

The Van der Valk shipyard designed an addition to its BeachClub series — Alvaro , a 67-foot motor yacht that uses a Volvo IPS 1050 drive system. The placement of the motors, combined with a large beam and liberal use of glass, produces a vast interior volume to improve the social areas. The 67’ Van der Valk has a roomy bow for dining, plus an (optional) hot tub that’s uncommon for a motor yacht of this size. The large windows along the hull and glass aft doors blanket the salon and galley with natural light. Van der Valk designers can custom build your dream boat so that you can have a top motor yacht with superyacht qualities.

Best feature: Extensive smart swim platform and sun lounge area to optimize al fresco lifestyle.

3. 85’ Azimut 2007

Blue is a stellar example of a late model Azimut 85 that’s for sale with Denison Yachting. In 2018, Blue was in the yard for a refit, which included an update to interior furnishings, a full paint job, and the addition of a hydraulic teak swim platform. Her size, layout, toys, and four ensuite staterooms give her the luxurious qualities of a superyacht under 100 feet. Blue is currently in Miami, Florida.

Best feature: Flybridge jacuzzi for the ultimate yachting experience.

4. 60’ Beneteau Monte Carlo 6

The new Monte Carlo 6 is a stunning and sporty 60-foot flybridge yacht with a bridge the size of most 70 footers. This new motor yacht is powered by two Cummins 600 QSC 8.3 diesel engines driving Zeus pods, and can reache a top speed of 28 knots. She has all the torque needed for dynamic acceleration and sustained performance so you can zip to your next coastal or island destinations. The styling on the MC 6 combines the usual Beneteau openness with a superyacht quality fit and finish. Her spacious three staterooms have ensuite heads. An open salon offers perfect comfort and entertainment space.

Best feature: Classic lines starting from her wave-piercing bow leading to her nearly vertical stern.

5. 62’ Horizon 2006

The spaciousness and construction of the Horizon E62 rival that of much larger motor yachts. The sleek exterior profile and beautifully designed interior give this world-class motor yacht refinements of a superyacht. This 62’ Horizon , named Lady G , has a two stateroom, two head layout with a large aft lazerette (laundry/tool room). An innovative hull design gives it exceptional handling and sea-keeping ability. Her interior is highlighted by a country kitchen that’s a chef’s dream. This used motor yacht had a full 1,000-hour service ahead of schedule to include the transmissions and coolers. She’s an impressive used motor yacht under 100 feet.

Best feature: Feeling of spaciousness throughout the vessel.

6. 96′ Nordlund 1995

Patience was custom built with great consideration for ease of operation with a smaller crew. She’s built completely from fiberglass construction and hosts 4 staterooms plus crew. Patience has undergone refits in 2005 and 2019 to upgrade her to be a top motor yacht under 100 feet. She has a new aft deck extension, new interior and exterior upholstery, new teak, and new Caterpillar C-30 1550 HP engines with new generators. She’s able to cruise comfortably at 20 knots and boasts a great hull design making her a fantastic offshore boat. Patience is making an appearance at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show 2020 and is ready for her next adventure with you.

Best feature: A brand new interior refit in 2019 that boasts a spacious and updated galley that rivals a home kitchen.

Motor yachts between 60 and 100 feet are perfect for providing the comforts of home while traveling to far-off destinations. Contact a Denison yacht broker to find your next new or used motor yacht in the United States. Your next adventure is right around the corner.

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Best Yachts – Top 15 Picks for 2024

Carver 52 Command Bridge

Hatteras M75 Panacera

Sabre 58 Salon Express

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a yacht? Probably those huge luxury cruisers reserved for the high society folks, right? Well, that’s true, but those are a special group of ships referred to as luxury yachts.

The questions you need to be asking are – What is a yacht? At what point is a yacht regarded as a ship? And, what exactly makes a yacht a yacht? Here’s a little boating lesson for you.

A yacht is any fast cruising watercraft used for pleasure or sport. Yachts can be classified into cruisers, superyachts, and mega yachts. The difference between them all boils down to their respective sizes.

Luxury vessels that are less than 12 meters long fall in the class of cabin cruiser yachts – or simply, cruisers. Those that measure more than 24 meters are classified as superyachts. Anything that’s 50+ meters long is a mega yacht. Anything larger than a mega yacht is generally referred to as a ship and generally describes a working vessel as opposed to something recreational.

So, as you can see, you don’t necessarily have to be swimming in a ton of money to become a yacht owner. The only difference will be in the size of the craft you get. Clear enough?

Without further ado, here are the 15 best yachts, as well as a few useful tips on how to choose the best one.

Top on our list of best yachts is the Carver 52 Command Bridge. Its unique design, spacious salon, expansive foredeck seating area, and well-thought-out amenities make this one the best yachts bar-none.

It comes with a master head, a spacious stall shower, and a full-beam master stateroom that even has its own private entrance. It doesn’t get any better than that.

 Carver  →

● Designed for long-range cruising ● Ample living space ● Comes with loads of convenience amenities

● Not ideal for use in icy waters

The Hatteras M75 Panacera yacht is the perfect embodiment of superior craftsmanship and timeless elegance. One look at it, and you can tell that it was built with impeccable attention to detail.

Everything from the galley layout and the open-concept deckhouse salon to the 360-degree panoramic windows and state-of-the-art amenities adds a completely new dimension to luxury yachting.

 Hatteras  →

● Ample space ● Exquisite interiors and exteriors ● Fully-customizable

● High maintenance

Yachts don’t exactly come cheap. So, the term “budget” yacht might be a bit of a stretch when referring to the price. Nonetheless, if you’re shopping for a watercraft that delivers excellent value for money, the Sabre 58 Salon Express is a great option to consider.

It has an open yacht design that seamlessly merges the interior with the exterior and has large windows that flood the interior spaces with lots of natural light. The Sabre also has three en-suite cabins, abundant storage, and several other great features that make it stand out from other boats in its class.

 Sabre Yachts  →

● Great value for money ● Spacious interior ● Ample storage

● Not ideal for use in the high seas

Tiara Yachts 53 Coupe

The Tiara Yachts 53 Coupe is the perfect family watercraft. It is designed for indoor and outdoor living. The bridge deck space and salon offer breathtaking 360-degree panoramic views of the ocean. It also has comfortable living quarters below deck that are guaranteed to give the entire family an exceptional cruising experience.

 Tiara  →

● Great for making memories ● Comfortable living quarters ● Offers panoramic views all round

● High maintenance costs

The 60 Cantius from Cruiser was built for long-distance passages. It has spacious living quarters both above and below deck, as well as lots of comfort and convenience amenities that allow you to spend extended periods out on the water.

You’ll particularly enjoy the retractable sunroof that allows you to bask in the sun while enjoying breathtaking panoramic ocean views as you cruise along.

 Cruisers Yachts  →

● Ideal for long-distance passages ● Beautiful, elegant design ● Spacious living areas above and below deck

● Pricier than other boats in its class

93 Motor Yacht

If you’re looking for a watercraft that can go the distance, it doesn’t get any better than the 93 Motor Yacht from Viking Yachts. First impressions: It is gorgeous.

Its beauty isn’t skin-deep either. The 93MY was built to navigate the rough, choppy waters of the high seas, making it the perfect vessel for anyone who wants to go on an ocean-crossing adventure of a lifetime.

 Viking Yachts  →

● Stunning exterior and interior design ● Built to navigate rough water conditions ● It is pretty massive

● Requires a small crew to operate it

Jeanneau NC 37

The Jeanneau NC 37 is an excellent beginner boat. Its fluid layout and ergonomic design make movement in this yacht a breeze. It comes with large panoramic windows with an open sunroof that bathe the living space in lots of natural light.

There’s an owner’s cabin, as well as a guest cabin that both offer ample standing headroom. Its well-proportioned interior alongside the multitude of comfort and convenience amenities it comes with makes it one of the best beginner yachts in the market today.

 Jeanneau  →

● Ample living space and storage ● Great value for money ● Open ergonomic layout

● Not ideal for ocean crossing

Regal 36 XO

If you’re looking for a yacht that combines both comfort and functionality, the Regal 36 XO delivers on both fronts. This beauty is powered by two outboard engines and offers multi-bow seating that also doubles up as casting decks.

It has a spacious cabin, open-air salon, seamless galley that integrates the aft seating area with the roomy saloon, and a windshield walk-through that provides easy access to the bow.

 Regal  →

● Versatile ● Spacious interiors and exteriors ● Fully-customizable

Back Cove 390

If you thought yachts were reserved for ocean-use only, that couldn’t be further from the truth. There are several models specially designed for lakes. The Back Cove 390 yacht is the perfect example.

Its smaller size makes it ideal for lake cruising. It has a fully-enclosed helm, as well as an owner and guest cabin below-deck, making it perfect for overnight stay.

 Back Cove Yachts  →

● Perfect size for lakes ● Ideal for entertaining ● Delivers optimal handling and maneuverability

● May not be ideal for a long extended stay

Formula 45 Yacht

The Formula 45 Yacht is the perfect liveaboard watercraft. It has all the comfort and convenience amenities you would expect to find in any standard land-based home. It is spacious with a well-thought-out practical layout that makes movement on the yacht easy. It has enough room to comfortably accommodate a small family of four.

 Formula  →

● Best yacht for the money ● Spacious interior ● Comes with lots of convenience amenities

Ocean Alexander 36L

If you’re thinking of venturing out into the rough seas, you’re going to need a yacht that can hold its own in the sloppiest of weather conditions. The Ocean Alexander 36L is built to do just that.

Beyond its stunning exterior and interiors, this yacht’s overall rugged construction is focused on giving passengers the smoothest ride possible regardless of the water conditions outside. Its deep V-hull design and its 324,500 lbs. displacement capacity are largely responsible for the exceptional stability it displays when cruising through the high seas.

 Ocean Alexander  →

● Exceptionally stable ● Packed with loads of comfort and convenience amenities ● Expansive interior and exterior

● Needs a crew to run it

Westport 112 Motor Yacht

As far as luxury yachts go, the Westport 112 Motor Yacht is in a class of its own. This 111 ft. 8 in. long watercraft is built to deliver extraordinary performance inside and out.

It has four en-suite staterooms that sleep eight individuals and can accommodate up to five crew members, including the captain. The interior oozes luxury, sophistication, and a timeless elegance that’s hard to come by these days.

 Westport Yachts  →

● Spacious indoor and outdoor living areas ● Exquisite interiors ● Suitable for cruising the high seas

● Expensive

Beneteau Oceanis 60

The Beneteau Oceanis 60 is by far the best sailing yacht we’ve come across. It is built on a hull that guarantees safety and unmatched performance at every turn.

This luxury sailing yacht has a unique deck plan that allows for single-handed maneuvering across the water. The glossy woodwork, cozy upholstery, and the spacious living quarters below-deck make it the perfect sailing yacht for your ocean getaway.

 Beneteau  →

● Exceptional fuel economy ● Spacious living areas ● Ideal for single-handed sailing

● May not be as fast as other non-sailboat yachts

Having a crew is great and all, but it’s also nice to have a yacht that you can operate on your own for that measure of added privacy when you need it. The Antares 9 is the perfect owner operator yacht.

It is modern, stylish, and compact, allowing you to run it on your own and discreetly slip away from the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life anytime you need to.

● Elegant design ● Can be operated solo ● Comfortable and safe navigation

● Not ideal for the rough, choppy waters of the high seas

Prestige 690

Let’s get to what yachts are best known for – hosting memorable parties. The Prestige 690 has everything you need to keep the party going all day and all night.

Its open design layout and its expansive deck make it the perfect yacht for entertaining. The elegant, timeless design of its exterior, alongside the breathtaking finishing, are just a few of the 690’s attributes that add to its appeal.

 Prestige  →

● Massive open deck ● Comes with lots of comfort and convenience features ● Sleeps up to 10 people

How to Choose the Best Yachts – Buyer’s Guide

A yacht is a pretty big purchase. So, you need to know what to look for when choosing the right one for your needs. Here are a couple of pointers that might come in handy.

Type of Yacht

The type of yacht you buy depends in large part on your intended use for it. Most yachts tend to fall into one of three categories – For water sports like wakeboarding , fishing motor yachts, or the overnight cruising variety. Once you know what kind of recreational activities you plan on engaging in, that should help narrow down your choices.

Next, you need to consider what size of yacht you should get. Do you have a young family that you intend to expand in the coming years? Do you plan to use the vessel for day cruising, or do you intend to spend a couple of nights on board from time to time?

Will the yacht be just for you and your significant other, or do you plan to frequently entertain several guests on board? This will advise whether you should buy a cabin cruiser yacht, a superyacht, or a mega yacht.

In a perfect world, you would have all the money you need to buy any kind of watercraft you want. Sadly, that’s not the reality we live in. Keep in mind that yachts don’t exactly come cheap. So, even if you’re planning to purchase a small yacht, you’ll still need to spend quite a bit of cash to get it.

The best thing to do would be to set a budget and compare the different models on offer from different manufacturers . Aside from the boat’s purchase price, you also need to think about the costs associated with owning a yacht. These include insurance, repairs, maintenance, cleaning, and the vessel’s general servicing.

Figure out what kind of comfort and convenience features are a must-have for you. How many cabins should it have? Do you need it to have a summer grill up top? Or will the one in the mini kitchen below-deck suffice? Ensure that the yacht you get has all the amenities you need.

Last but not least, before you sign any purchase contract, ensure that you schedule a sea trial with the dealer. That way, you get a true feel for the boat before you buy it.

Look Before You Leap

If you’re in the market for a shiny new yacht, any of the 15 vessels we’ve detailed in this guide will make an excellent choice. Do your homework beforehand, and make sure your desired craft has all the features and amenities you seek.

Use the tips we’ve outlined in this guide to help you choose the best yachts from all the different options that are hot on the market right now. Happy yachting!

In the meantime, if you’re looking for the best aluminum fishing boat , we’ve got you covered. Check out our review for our top picks.

About Chris

Outdoors, I’m in my element, especially in the water. I know the importance of being geared up for anything. I do the deep digital dive, researching gear, boats and knowhow and love keeping my readership at the helm of their passions.

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43 of the best bluewater sailboat designs of all time

• January 5, 2022

How do you choose the right yacht for you? We highlight the very best bluewater sailboat designs for every type of cruising

Which yacht is the best for bluewater boating? This question generates even more debate among sailors than questions about what’s the coolest yacht , or the best for racing. Whereas racing designs are measured against each other, cruising sailors get very limited opportunities to experience different yachts in real oceangoing conditions, so what is the best bluewater sailboat?

Here, we bring you our top choices from decades of designs and launches. Over the years, the Yachting World team has sailed these boats, tested them or judged them for European Yacht of the Year awards, and we have sifted through the many to curate a selection that we believe should be on your wishlist.

Making the right choice may come down to how you foresee your yacht being used after it has crossed an ocean or completed a passage: will you be living at anchor or cruising along the coast? If so, your guiding requirements will be space, cabin size, ease of launching a tender and anchoring closer to shore, and whether it can comfortably accommodate non-expert-sailor guests.

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All of these considerations have generated the inexorable rise of the bluewater catamaran – monohulls can’t easily compete on these points. We have a full separate feature on the best bluewater multihulls of all time and here we mostly focus on monohulls. The only exceptions to that rule are two multihulls which made it into our best bluewater sailboats of 2022 list.

As so much of making the right choice is selecting the right boat for the venture in mind, we have separated out our edit into categories: best for comfort; for families; for performance; and for expedition or high latitudes sailing .

Best bluewater sailboats of 2022

The new flagship Allures 51.9, for example, is a no-nonsense adventure cruising design built and finished to a high standard. It retains Allures’ niche of using aluminium hulls with glassfibre decks and superstructures, which, the yard maintains, gives the optimum combination of least maintenance and less weight higher up. Priorities for this design were a full beam aft cabin and a spacious, long cockpit. Both are excellent, with the latter, at 6m long, offering formidable social, sailing and aft deck zones.

It likes some breeze to come to life on the wheel, but I appreciate that it’s designed to take up to five tonnes payload. And I like the ease with which you can change gears using the furling headsails and the positioning of the powerful Andersen winches inboard. The arch is standard and comes with a textile sprayhood or hard bimini.

Below decks you’ll find abundant headroom and natural light, a deep U-shape galley and cavernous stowage. For those who like the layout of the Amel 50 but would prefer aluminium or shoal draught, look no further.

Allures 51.9 price: €766,000

The Ovni 370 is another cunning new aluminum centreboard offering, a true deck saloon cruiser for two. The designers say the biggest challenge was to create a Category A ocean going yacht at this size with a lifting keel, hence the hull had to be very stable.

Enjoyable to helm, it has a practical, deep cockpit behind a large sprayhood, which can link to the bimini on the arch. Many of its most appealing features lie in the bright, light, contemporary, clever, voluminous interior, which has good stowage and tankage allocation. There’s also a practical navstation, a large workroom and a vast separate shower. I particularly like the convertible saloom, which can double as a large secure daybed or pilot berth.

Potentially the least expensive Category A lift keel boat available, the Ovni will get you dreaming of remote places again.

Ovni 370 price: €282,080

There’s no shortage of spirit in the Windelo 50. We gave this a sustainability award after it’s founders spent two years researching environmentally-friendly composite materials, developing an eco-composite of basalt fibre and recycled PET foam so it could build boats that halve the environmental impact of standard glassfibre yachts.

The Windelo 50 is an intriguing package – from the styling, modular interior and novel layout to the solar field on the roof and the standard electric propulsion, it is completely fresh.

Windelo 50 price: €795,000

Best bluewater sailboat of 2022 – Outremer 55

I would argue that this is the most successful new production yacht on the market. Well over 50 have already sold (an equipped model typically costs €1.6m) – and I can understand why. After all, were money no object, I had this design earmarked as the new yacht I would most likely choose for a world trip.

Indeed 55 number one Sanya, was fully equipped for a family’s world cruise, and left during our stay for the Grand Large Odyssey tour. Whereas we sailed Magic Kili, which was tricked up with performance options, including foam-cored deckheads and supports, carbon crossbeam and bulkheads, and synthetic rigging.

At rest, these are enticing space ships. Taking one out to sea is another matter though. These are speed machines with the size, scale and loads to be rightly weary of. Last month Nikki Henderson wrote a feature for us about how to manage a new breed of performance cruising cats just like this and how she coaches new owners. I could not think of wiser money spent for those who do not have ample multihull sailing experience.

Under sail, the most fun was obviously reserved for the reaching leg under asymmetric, where we clocked between 11-16 knots in 15-16 knots wind. But it was the stability and of those sustained low teen speeds which really hit home  – passagemaking where you really cover miles.

Key features include the swing helms, which give you views from outboard, over the coachroof or from a protected position in the cockpit through the coachroof windows, and the vast island in the galley, which is key to an open plan main living area. It helps provide cavernous stowage and acts as the heart of the entertaining space as it would in a modern home. As Danish judge Morten Brandt-Rasmussen comments: “Apart from being the TGV of ocean passages the boat offers the most spacious, open and best integration of the cockpit and salon areas in the market.”

Outremer has done a top job in packing in the creature comforts, stowage space and payload capacity, while keeping it light enough to eat miles. Although a lot to absorb and handle, the 55 offers a formidable blend of speed and luxury cruising.

Outremer 55 price: €1.35m

Best bluewater sailboats for comfort

This is the successor to the legendary Super Maramu, a ketch design that for several decades defined easy downwind handling and fostered a cult following for the French yard. Nearly a decade old, the Amel 55 is the bridge between those world-girdling stalwarts and Amel’s more recent and totally re-imagined sloop designs, the Amel 50 and 60.

The 55 boasts all the serious features Amel aficionados loved and valued: a skeg-hung rudder, solidly built hull, watertight bulkheads, solid guardrails and rampart bulwarks. And, most noticeable, the solid doghouse in which the helmsman sits in perfect shelter at the wheel.

This is a design to live on comfortably for long periods and the list of standard features just goes on and on: passarelle; proper sea berths with lee cloths; electric furling main and genoa; and a multitude of practical items that go right down to a dishwasher and crockery.

There’s no getting around the fact these designs do look rather dated now, and through the development of easier sail handling systems the ketch rig has fallen out of fashion, but the Amel is nothing short of a phenomenon, and if you’ve never even peeked on board one, you really have missed a treat.

Photo: Sander van der Borch

Contest 50CS

A centre cockpit cruiser with true longevity, the Contest 50CS was launched by Conyplex back in 2003 and is still being built by the family-owned Dutch company, now in updated and restyled form.

With a fully balanced rudder, large wheel and modern underwater sections, the Contest 50CS is a surprisingly good performer for a boat that has a dry weight of 17.5 tonnes. Many were fitted with in-mast furling, which clearly curtails that performance, but even without, this boat is set up for a small crew.

Electric winches and mainsheet traveller are all easy to reach from the helm. On our test of the Contest 50CS, we saw for ourselves how two people can gybe downwind under spinnaker without undue drama. Upwind, a 105% genoa is so easy to tack it flatters even the weediest crewmember.

Down below, the finish level of the joinery work is up there among the best and the interior is full of clever touches, again updated and modernised since the early models. Never the cheapest bluewater sailing yacht around, the Contest 50CS has remained in demand as a brokerage buy. She is a reassuringly sure-footed, easily handled, very well built yacht that for all those reasons has stood the test of time.

This is a yacht that would be well capable of helping you extend your cruising grounds, almost without realising it.

Read more about the Contest 50CS and the new Contest 49CS

Photo: Rick Tomlinson

Hallberg-Rassy 48 Mk II

For many, the Swedish Hallberg-Rassy yard makes the quintessential bluewater cruiser for couples. With their distinctive blue cove line, these designs are famous for their seakindly behaviour, solid-as-a-rock build and beautifully finished, traditional interiors.

To some eyes, Hallberg-Rassys aren’t quite cool enough, but it’s been company owner Magnus Rassy’s confidence in the formula and belief in incremental ‘step-by-step’ evolution that has been such an exceptional guarantor of reliable quality, reputation and resale value.

The centre cockpit Hallberg-Rassy 48 epitomises the concept of comfort at sea and, like all the Frers-designed Hallberg-Rassys since the 1990s, is surprisingly fleet upwind as well as steady downwind. The 48 is perfectly able to be handled by a couple (as we found a few years back in the Pacific), and could with no great effort crack out 200-mile days.

The Hallberg-Rassy 48 was launched nearly a decade ago, but the Mk II from 2014 is our pick, updated with a more modern profile, larger windows and hull portlights that flood the saloon and aft cabin with light. With a large chart table, secure linear galley, heaps of stowage and space for bluewater extras such as machinery and gear, this yacht pretty much ticks all the boxes.

Discovery 55

First launched in 2000, the Discovery 55 has stood the test of time. Designed by Ron Holland, it hit a sweet spot in size that appealed to couples and families with world girdling plans.

Elegantly styled and well balanced, the 55 is also a practical design, with a deep and secure cockpit, comfortable seating, a self-tacking jib, dedicated stowage for the liferaft , a decent sugar scoop transom that’s useful for swimming or dinghy access, and very comfortable accommodation below. In short, it is a design that has been well thought out by those who’ve been there, got the bruises, stubbed their toes and vowed to change things in the future if they ever got the chance.

Throughout the accommodation there are plenty of examples of good detailing, from the proliferation of handholds and grabrails, to deep sinks in the galley offering immediate stowage when under way and the stand up/sit down showers. Stowage is good, too, with plenty of sensibly sized lockers in easily accessible positions.

The Discovery 55 has practical ideas and nifty details aplenty. She’s not, and never was, a breakthrough in modern luxury cruising but she is pretty, comfortable to sail and live on, and well mannered.

Photo: Latitudes Picture Library

You can’t get much more Cornish than a Rustler. The hulls of this Stephen Jones design are hand-moulded and fitted out in Falmouth – and few are more ruggedly built than this traditional, up-for-anything offshore cruiser.

She boasts an encapsulated lead keel, eliminating keel bolts and creating a sump for generous fuel and water tankage, while a chunky skeg protects the rudder. She is designed for good directional stability and load carrying ability. These are all features that lend this yacht confidence as it shoulders aside the rough stuff.

Most of those built have had a cutter rig, a flexible arrangement that makes sense for long passages in all sea and weather conditions. Down below, the galley and saloon berths are comfortable and sensible for living in port and at sea, with joinery that Rustler’s builders are rightly proud of.

As modern yachts have got wider, higher and fatter, the Rustler 42 is an exception. This is an exceptionally well-mannered seagoing yacht in the traditional vein, with elegant lines and pleasing overhangs, yet also surprisingly powerful. And although now over 20 years old, timeless looks and qualities mean this design makes her look ever more like a perennial, a modern classic.

The definitive crossover size, the point at which a yacht can be handled by a couple but is just large enough to have a professional skipper and be chartered, sits at around the 60ft mark. At 58ft 8in, the Oyster 575 fitted perfectly into this growing market when launched in 2010. It went on to be one of the most popular models from the yard, and is only now being superseded by the newer Rob Humphreys-designed Oyster 565 (just launched this spring).

Built in various configurations with either a deep keel, shoal draught keel or centreboard with twin rudders, owners could trade off better performance against easy access to shallower coves and anchorages. The deep-bodied hull, also by Rob Humphreys, is known for its easy motion at sea.

Some of the Oyster 575’s best features include its hallmark coachroof windows style and centre cockpit – almost everyone will know at first glance this is an Oyster – and superb interior finish. If she has a flaw, it is arguably the high cockpit, but the flip side is the galley headroom and passageway berth to the large aft stateroom.

This design also has a host of practical features for long-distance cruising, such as high guardrails, dedicated liferaft stowage, a vast lazarette for swallowing sails, tender, fenders etc, and a penthouse engine room.

Privilege Serie 5

A true luxury catamaran which, fully fitted out, will top €1m, this deserves to be seen alongside the likes of the Oyster 575, Gunfleet 58 and Hallberg-Rassy 55. It boasts a large cockpit and living area, and a light and spacious saloon with an emphasis on indoor-outdoor living, masses of refrigeration and a big galley.

Standout features are finish quality and solid build in a yacht designed to take a high payload, a secure walkaround deck and all-round views from the helm station. The new Privilege 510 that will replace this launches in February 2020.

Gunfleet 43

It was with this Tony Castro design that Richard Matthews, founder of Oyster Yachts, launched a brand new rival brand in 2012, the smallest of a range stretching to the flagship Gunfleet 74. The combination of short overhangs and centre cockpit at this size do make the Gunfleet 43 look modern if a little boxy, but time and subsequent design trends have been kind to her lines, and the build quality is excellent. The saloon, galley and aft cabin space is exceptional on a yacht of this size.

Photo: David Harding

Conceived as a belt-and-braces cruiser, the Kraken 50 launched last year. Its unique points lie underwater in the guise of a full skeg-hung rudder and so-called ‘Zero Keel’, an encapsulated long keel with lead ballast.

Kraken Yachts is the brainchild of British businessman and highly experienced cruiser Dick Beaumont, who is adamant that safety should be foremost in cruising yacht design and build. “There is no such thing as ‘one yacht for all purposes’… You cannot have the best of all worlds, whatever the salesman tells you,” he says.

Read our full review of the Kraken 50 .

Wauquiez Centurion 57

Few yachts can claim to be both an exciting Med-style design and a serious and practical northern European offshore cruiser, but the Wauquiez Centurion 57 tries to blend both. She slightly misses if you judge solely by either criterion, but is pretty and practical enough to suit her purpose.

A very pleasant, well-considered yacht, she is impressively built and finished with a warm and comfortable interior. More versatile than radical, she could be used for sailing across the Atlantic in comfort and raced with equal enjoyment at Antigua Sailing Week .

A modern classic if ever there was one. A medium to heavy displacement yacht, stiff and easily capable of standing up to her canvas. Pretty, traditional lines and layout below.

Photo: Voyage of Swell

Well-proven US legacy design dating back to the mid-1960s that once conquered the Transpac Race . Still admired as pretty, with slight spoon bow and overhanging transom.

Capable medium displacement cruiser, ideal size and good accommodation for couples or family cruising, and much less costly than similar luxury brands.

Photo: Peter Szamer

Swedish-built aft cockpit cruiser, smaller than many here, but a well-built and finished, super-durable pocket ocean cruiser.

Tartan 3700

Designed as a performance cruiser there are nimbler alternatives now, but this is still an extremely pretty yacht.

Broker ’ s choice

Discovery 55 Brizo

This yacht has already circumnavigated the globe and is ‘prepared for her next adventure,’ says broker Berthon. Price: £535,000 + VAT

Oyster 575 Ayesha

‘Stunning, and perfectly equipped for bluewater cruising,’ says broker Ancasta International. Price: £845,000 (tax not paid)

Oyster 575 Pearls of Nautilus

Nearly new and with a high spec, this Oyster Brokerage yacht features American white oak joinery and white leather upholstery and has a shoal draught keel. Price: $1.49m

Best bluewater yachts for performance

The Frers-designed Swan 54 may not be the newest hull shape but heralded Swan’s latest generation of displacement bluewater cruisers when launched four years ago. With raked stem, deep V hull form, lower freeboard and slight curve to the topsides she has a more timeless aesthetic than many modern slab-sided high volume yachts, and with that a seakindly motion in waves. If you plan to cover many miles to weather, this is probably the yacht you want to be on.

Photo: Carlo Borlenghi

Besides Swan’s superlative build quality, the 54 brings many true bluewater features, including a dedicated sail locker. There’s also a cockpit locker that functions as a utility cabin, with potential to hold your generator and washing machine, or be a workshop space.

The sloping transom opens out to reveal a 2.5m bathing platform, and although the cabins are not huge there is copious stowage space. Down below the top-notch oak joinery is well thought through with deep fiddles, and there is a substantial nav station. But the Swan 54 wins for handling above all, with well laid-out sail controls that can be easily managed between a couple, while offering real sailing enjoyment to the helmsman.

Photo: Graham Snook

The Performance Cruiser winner at the 2019 European Yacht of the Year awards, the Arcona 435 is all about the sailing experience. She has genuine potential as a cruiser-racer, but her strengths are as an enjoyable cruiser rather than a full-blown liveaboard bluewater boat.

Build quality is excellent, there is the option of a carbon hull and deck, and elegant lines and a plumb bow give the Arcona 435 good looks as well as excellent performance in light airs. Besides slick sail handling systems, there are well thought-out features for cruising, such as ample built-in rope bins and an optional semi-closed stern with stowage and swim platform.

Outremer 51

If you want the space and stability of a cat but still prioritise sailing performance, Outremer has built a reputation on building catamarans with true bluewater characteristics that have cruised the planet for the past 30 years.

Lighter and slimmer-hulled than most cruising cats, the Outremer 51 is all about sailing at faster speeds, more easily. The lower volume hulls and higher bridgedeck make for a better motion in waves, while owners report that being able to maintain a decent pace even under reduced canvas makes for stress-free passages. Deep daggerboards also give good upwind performance.

With bucket seats and tiller steering options, the Outremer 51 rewards sailors who want to spend time steering, while they’re famously well set up for handling with one person on deck. The compromise comes with the interior space – even with a relatively minimalist style, there is less cabin space and stowage volume than on the bulkier cats, but the Outremer 51 still packs in plenty of practical features.

The Xc45 was the first cruising yacht X-Yachts ever built, and designed to give the same X-Yachts sailing experience for sailors who’d spent years racing 30/40-footer X- and IMX designs, but in a cruising package.

Launched over 10 years ago, the Xc45 has been revisited a few times to increase the stowage and modernise some of the styling, but the key features remain the same, including substantial tanks set low for a low centre of gravity, and X-Yachts’ trademark steel keel grid structure. She has fairly traditional styling and layout, matched with solid build quality.

A soft bilge and V-shaped hull gives a kindly motion in waves, and the cockpit is secure, if narrow by modern standards.

A three or four cabin catamaran that’s fleet of foot with high bridgedeck clearance for comfortable motion at sea. With tall daggerboards and carbon construction in some high load areas, Catana cats are light and quick to accelerate.

Sweden Yachts 45

An established bluewater design that also features in plenty of offshore races. Some examples are specced with carbon rig and retractable bowsprits. All have a self-tacking jib for ease. Expect sweeping areas of teak above decks and a traditionally wooded interior with hanging wet locker.

A vintage performer, first launched in 1981, the 51 was the first Frers-designed Swan and marked a new era of iconic cruiser-racers. Some 36 of the Swan 51 were built, many still actively racing and cruising nearly 40 years on. Classic lines and a split cockpit make this a boat for helming, not sunbathing.

Photo: Julien Girardot / EYOTY

The JPK 45 comes from a French racing stable, combining race-winning design heritage with cruising amenities. What you see is what you get – there are no superfluous headliners or floorboards, but there are plenty of ocean sailing details, like inboard winches for safe trimming. The JPK 45 also has a brilliantly designed cockpit with an optional doghouse creating all-weather shelter, twin wheels and superb clutch and rope bin arrangement.

Photo: Andreas Lindlahr

For sailors who don’t mind exchanging a few creature comforts for downwind planing performance, the Pogo 50 offers double-digit surfing speeds for exhilarating tradewind sailing. There’s an open transom, tiller steering and no backstay or runners. The Pogo 50 also has a swing keel, to nose into shallow anchorages.

Seawind 1600

Seawinds are relatively unknown in Europe, but these bluewater cats are very popular in Australia. As would be expected from a Reichel-Pugh design, this 52-footer combines striking good looks and high performance, with fine entry bows and comparatively low freeboard. Rudders are foam cored lifting designs in cassettes, which offer straightforward access in case of repairs, while daggerboards are housed under the deck.

Best bluewater sailboats for families

It’s unsurprising that, for many families, it’s a catamaran that meets their requirements best of increased space – both living space and separate cabins for privacy-seeking teenagers, additional crew or visiting family – as well as stable and predictable handling.

Photo: Nicholas Claris

Undoubtedly one of the biggest success stories has been the Lagoon 450, which, together with boats like the Fountaine Pajot 44, helped drive up the popularity of catamaran cruising by making it affordable and accessible. They have sold in huge numbers – over 1,000 Lagoon 450s have been built since its launch in 2010.

The VPLP-designed 450 was originally launched with a flybridge with a near central helming position and upper level lounging areas (450F). The later ‘sport top’ option (450S) offered a starboard helm station and lower boom (and hence lower centre of gravity for reduced pitching). The 450S also gained a hull chine to create additional volume above the waterline. The Lagoon features forward lounging and aft cockpit areas for additional outdoor living space.

Besides being a big hit among charter operators, Lagoons have proven themselves over thousands of bluewater miles – there were seven Lagoon 450s in last year’s ARC alone. In what remains a competitive sector of the market, Lagoon has recently launched a new 46, with a larger self-tacking jib and mast moved aft, and more lounging areas.

Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget

Fountaine Pajot Helia 44

The FP Helia 44 is lighter, lower volume, and has a lower freeboard than the Lagoon, weighing in at 10.8 tonnes unloaded (compared to 15 for the 450). The helm station is on a mezzanine level two steps up from the bridgedeck, with a bench seat behind. A later ‘Evolution’ version was designed for liveaboard cruisers, featuring beefed up dinghy davits and an improved saloon space.

Available in three or four cabin layouts, the Helia 44 was also popular with charter owners as well as families. The new 45 promises additional volume, and an optional hydraulically lowered ‘beach club’ swim platform.

Photo: Arnaud De Buyzer / graphikup.com

The French RM 1370 might be less well known than the big brand names, but offers something a little bit different for anyone who wants a relatively voluminous cruising yacht. Designed by Marc Lombard, and beautifully built from plywood/epoxy, the RM is stiff and responsive, and sails superbly.

The RM yachts have a more individual look – in part down to the painted finish, which encourages many owners to personalise their yachts, but also thanks to their distinctive lines with reverse sheer and dreadnought bow. The cockpit is well laid out with the primary winches inboard for a secure trimming position. The interior is light, airy and modern, although the open transom won’t appeal to everyone.

For those wanting a monohull, the Hanse 575 hits a similar sweet spot to the popular multis, maximising accommodation for a realistic price, yet with responsive performance.

The Hanse offers a vast amount of living space thanks to the ‘loft design’ concept of having all the living areas on a single level, which gives a real feeling of spaciousness with no raised saloon or steps to accommodation. The trade-off for such lofty head height is a substantial freeboard – it towers above the pontoon, while, below, a stepladder is provided to reach some hatches.

Galley options include drawer fridge-freezers, microwave and coffee machine, and the full size nav station can double up as an office or study space.

But while the Hanse 575 is a seriously large boat, its popularity is also down to the fact that it is genuinely able to be handled by a couple. It was innovative in its deck layout: with a self-tacking jib and mainsheet winches immediately to hand next to the helm, one person could both steer and trim.

Direct steering gives a feeling of control and some tangible sailing fun, while the waterline length makes for rapid passage times. In 2016 the German yard launched the newer Hanse 588 model, having already sold 175 of the 575s in just four years.

Photo: Bertel Kolthof

Jeanneau 54

Jeanneau leads the way among production builders for versatile all-rounder yachts that balance sail performance and handling, ergonomics, liveaboard functionality and good looks. The Jeanneau 54 , part of the range designed by Philippe Briand with interior by Andrew Winch, melds the best of the larger and smaller models and is available in a vast array of layout options from two cabins/two heads right up to five cabins and three heads.

We’ve tested the Jeanneau 54 in a gale and very light winds, and it acquitted itself handsomely in both extremes. The primary and mainsheet winches are to hand next to the wheel, and the cockpit is spacious, protected and child-friendly. An electric folding swim and sun deck makes for quick fun in the water.

Nautitech Open 46

This was the first Nautitech catamaran to be built under the ownership of Bavaria, designed with an open-plan bridgedeck and cockpit for free-flowing living space. But with good pace for eating up bluewater miles, and aft twin helms rather than a flybridge, the Nautitech Open 46 also appeals to monohull sailors who prefer a more direct sailing experience.

Made by Robertson and Caine, who produce catamarans under a dual identity as both Leopard and the Sunsail/Moorings charter cats, the Leopard 45 is set to be another big seller. Reflecting its charter DNA, the Leopard 45 is voluminous, with stepped hulls for reduced waterline, and a separate forward cockpit.

Built in South Africa, they are robustly tested off the Cape and constructed ruggedly enough to handle heavy weather sailing as well as the demands of chartering.

Photo: Olivier Blanchet

If space is king then three hulls might be even better than two. The Neel 51 is rare as a cruising trimaran with enough space for proper liveaboard sailing. The galley and saloon are in the large central hull, together with an owner’s cabin on one level for a unique sensation of living above the water. Guest or family cabins lie in the outer hulls for privacy and there is a cavernous full height engine room under the cabin sole.

Performance is notably higher than an equivalent cruising cat, particularly in light winds, with a single rudder giving a truly direct feel in the helm, although manoeuvring a 50ft trimaran may daunt many sailors.

Beneteau Oceanis 46.1

A brilliant new model from Beneteau, this Finot Conq design has a modern stepped hull, which offers exhilarating and confidence-inspiring handling in big breezes, and slippery performance in lighter winds.

The Beneteau Oceanis 46.1 was the standout performer at this year’s European Yacht of the Year awards, and, in replacing the popular Oceanis 45, looks set to be another bestseller. Interior space is well used with a double island berth in the forepeak. An additional inboard unit creates a secure galley area, but tank capacity is moderate for long periods aboard.

Beneteau Oceanis 473

A popular model that offers beam and height in a functional layout, although, as with many boats of this age (she was launched in 2002), the mainsheet is not within reach of the helmsman.

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 49

The Philippe Briand-designed Sun Odyssey range has a solid reputation as family production cruisers. Like the 473, the Sun Odyssey 49 was popular for charter so there are plenty of four-cabin models on the market.

Nautitech 441

The hull design dates back to 1995, but was relaunched in 2012. Though the saloon interior has dated, the 441 has solid practical features, such as a rainwater run-off collection gutter around the coachroof.

Atlantic 42

Chris White-designed cats feature a pilothouse and forward waist-high working cockpit with helm position, as well as an inside wheel at the nav station. The Atlantic 42 offers limited accommodation by modern cat standards but a very different sailing experience.

Best bluewater sailing yachts for expeditions

Bestevaer 56.

All of the yachts in our ‘expedition’ category are aluminium-hulled designs suitable for high latitude sailing, and all are exceptional yachts. But the Bestevaer 56 is a spectacular amount of boat to take on a true adventure. Each Bestevaer is a near-custom build with plenty of bespoke options for owners to customise the layout and where they fall on the scale of rugged off-grid adventurer to 4×4-style luxury fit out.

The Bestevaer range began when renowned naval architect Gerard Dijkstra chose to design his own personal yacht for liveaboard adventure cruising, a 53-footer. The concept drew plenty of interest from bluewater sailors wanting to make longer expeditions and Bestevaers are now available in a range of sizes, with the 56-footer proving a popular mid-range length.

The well-known Bestevaer 56 Tranquilo  (pictured above) has a deep, secure cockpit, voluminous tanks (700lt water and over 1,100lt fuel) and a lifting keel plus water ballast, with classically styled teak clad decks and pilot house. Other owners have opted for functional bare aluminium hull and deck, some choose a doghouse and others a pilothouse.

Photo: Jean-Marie Liot

The Boreal 52 also offers Land Rover-esque practicality, with utilitarian bare aluminium hulls and a distinctive double-level doghouse/coachroof arrangement for added protection in all weathers. The cockpit is clean and uncluttered, thanks to the mainsheet position on top of the doghouse, although for visibility in close manoeuvring the helmsman will want to step up onto the aft deck.

Twin daggerboards, a lifting centreboard and long skeg on which she can settle make this a true go-anywhere expedition yacht. The metres of chain required for adventurous anchoring is stowed in a special locker by the mast to keep the weight central. Down below has been thought through with equally practical touches, including plenty of bracing points and lighting that switches on to red light first to protect your night vision.

Photo: Morris Adant / Garcia Yachts

Garcia Exploration 45

The Garcia Exploration 45 comes with real experience behind her – she was created in association with Jimmy Cornell, based on his many hundreds of thousands of miles of bluewater cruising, to go anywhere from high latitudes to the tropics.

Arguably less of a looker than the Bestevaer, the Garcia Exploration 45 features a rounded aluminium hull, centreboard with deep skeg and twin daggerboards. The considerable anchor chain weight has again been brought aft, this time via a special conduit to a watertight locker in front of the centreboard.

This is a yacht designed to be lived on for extended periods with ample storage, and panoramic portlights to give a near 360° view of whichever extraordinary landscape you are exploring. Safety features include a watertight companionway door to keep extreme weather out and through-hull fittings placed above the waterline. When former Vendée Globe skipper Pete Goss went cruising , this was the boat he chose to do it in.

Photo: svnaima.com

A truly well-proven expedition design, some 1,500 Ovnis have been built and many sailed to some of the most far-flung corners of the world. (Jimmy Cornell sailed his Aventura some 30,000 miles, including two Drake Passage crossings, one in 50 knots of wind).

Futuna Exploration 54

Another aluminium design with a swinging centreboard and a solid enclosed pilothouse with protected cockpit area. There’s a chunky bowsprit and substantial transom arch to house all manner of electronics and power generation.

Previous boats have been spec’d for North West Passage crossings with additional heating and engine power, although there’s a carbon rig option for those that want a touch of the black stuff. The tanks are capacious, with 1,000lt capability for both fresh water and fuel.

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General election latest: Sunak's announcement gets brutal review from top Tory - as Reform leader defends 1066 graph

Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer and other party leaders have kicked off campaigning after the prime minister called a general election for 4 July.

Friday 24 May 2024 04:30, UK

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General election called for 4 July

• PM's announcement gets brutal review from top Tory
• Starmer claims Sunak 'never believed' in Rwanda plan
• Reform leader grilled over bizarre '1066' migration graph
• Two ministers stand down on first full day of campaigning
• 'Ready-made' football law among victims of parliament ending
• Live reporting by  Ben Bloch and (earlier)  Faith Ridler

Expert analysis

• Sam Coates: PM needs to capitalise on surprise
• Sophy Ridge: This is what the Tories don't want to talk about

Election essentials

• Trackers: Who's leading polls? | Is PM keeping promises?
• Subscribe to Sky's politics podcasts: Electoral Dysfunction | Politics At Jack And Sam's
• Read more: What happens next? | Which MPs are standing down? | Key seats to watch | How to register to vote | What counts as voter ID? | Check if your constituency's changing | Sky's coverage plans

We've got three key dates for your diary from the Electoral Commission should you need to register to vote in the general election.

18 June: This is the deadline to register, which you can do online at gov.uk/register-to-vote .

19 June: This is the deadline to apply for a postal vote, should you not be around when polling stations open on 4 July.

26 June: This is the deadline to apply for a proxy vote, which allows someone to vote on your behalf, and also to apply for a Voter ID certificate should you not have another valid form of identification.

This is the first general election where ID is needed to vote - find out more about registration here:

In January 2023, Rishi Sunak made five promises.

Since then, he and his ministers have rarely missed an opportunity to list them. In case you haven't heard, he promised to:

• Halve inflation
• Grow the economy
• Reduce debt
• Cut NHS waiting lists and times
• Stop the boats

See below how he is doing on these goals:

It's not just your lifelong politicans who enter the fray when it comes to election time.

With the next general election now confirmed for July, there are already some faces in the mix you might recognise from other walks of life.

They wouldn't be the first from the worlds of entertainment and sport to venture into politics - the late Oscar-winner Glenda Jackson won a seat for Labour in the 1992 election, as did TV personality Gyles Brandreth for the Conservatives.

And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was known as a comedian and actor before assuming his current role in 2019.

Here are some new candidates hoping to become MPs in July - along with one who bowed out after just eight days...

As the football season comes to an end - the general election battle is just beginning.

And it's the crossover you didn't know you needed - Sky's Kay Burley kicks out David Jones, Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher from the Monday Night Football studio.

Below, she gives you a first look at our Election Night Live studio, our home for when the results come in from across the United Kingdom.

Have a sneak peak below:

Sky News has announced its coverage plans for the 2024 general election after Rishi Sunak surprised the nation by saying the public will go to the polls on 4 July.

Chief Presenter Kay Burley  will anchor Election Night Live, the overnight results programme, from a 360-degree immersive studio normally used by Sky Sports shows like Monday Night Football.

Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester and a former Labour MP, will provide guest analysis alongside the former leader of the Scottish Conservatives, Baroness Ruth Davidson.

Burley, who will be covering her twelfth UK general election, will also be joined by Sky News' award-winning political editor Beth Rigby , the presenter of our Sunday breakfast show  Sir Trevor Phillips, and data and economics editor Ed Conway .

You can read more on our election night plans below:

By Professor Michael Thrasher, Sky News election analyst

The electoral geography of the UK is changing.

Following the recommendations of independent Boundary Commissions for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the next UK general election - which Sky News understands will be on 4 July - will be fought on new constituency boundaries, replacing those in operation since 2010.

This is the sixth periodic review to be implemented since the war. The next review is not scheduled until October 2031.

Exploring how this movement of voters affects the political makeup of the House of Commons is a task that Colin Rallings and myself have been doing over the past thirty years following previous boundary adjustments.

There are winners and losers in different parts of the UK - read the full analysis here:

Rishi Sunak's decision to call a general election has kickstarted what is known as the "wash-up" period - the term used to describe the final days before parliament is formally dissolved.

It means the government will now try to progress any outstanding legislation with the aim of making it law before parliament is prorogued, and the current parliamentary session comes to an end, on Friday.

However, with such a limited timeframe, it is expected that a number of bills that have defined this parliamentary session are likely to fall by the wayside.

Sky's political reporter Alex Rogers   takes you through the key bills that are unlikely to make it into law:

The political parties have been setting out their election campaigns, with voters going to the polls exactly six weeks from today.  

On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson speaks to deputy political editor Sam Coates , who is following the prime minister on his campaign trail around the UK, visiting four nations in two days. 

He also chats with chief political correspondent Jon Craig about the launch of Labour's campaign in Kent.

Plus, Sky's online campaign correspondent Tom Cheshire tells Niall why the parties are spending big money online and whether it could affect the election outcome.

Two Tory ministers and deputy speaker Dame Eleanor Laing have confirmed they will not stand in next month's general election.

Transport minister Huw Merriman is among five Conservative MP to reveal they will not seek re-election, following Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's announcement that the country will go to the polls on 4 July.

The Bexhill and Battle MP said in a statement he has "loved being an MP" and is departing with "a heavy heart". He did not give a reason for choosing to stand down.

Mr Merriman, who has been in parliament for nine years, has a majority of 26,059 votes, winning over 63.6% of the vote in 2019.

His announcement came hours after that of fellow Tory minister Jo Churchill.

Read more here:

A minister asked a meeting of Tory MPs whether it was still possible to submit a letter of no confidence in the prime minister after he announced the election, Sky News understands.

Sky's political editor Beth Rigby revealed in her  Electoral Dysfunction podcast  that health minister Dame Andrea Leadsom made the query at the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs yesterday.

Dame Andrea declined to comment when contacted by Sky News, saying "1922 Committee meetings are private".

Hours after Rishi Sunak announced there would be an election on 4 July, Beth Rigby reported there were considerable discussions on Conservative WhatsApp groups about whether there was still a route to stop a general election.

She told the podcast MPs are "really unhappy" with the timing of the vote, with some texting her saying it was "absolute madness".

One minister, she says, told her the letters were already going in again for a vote of no confidence in the PM, indicating the election was called "from a position of weakness".

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