It wasn’t all that long ago, in the grand scheme of things, when a 35-foot boat was deemed more than adequate for bluewater sailing. Hal Roth won the Cruising Club of America’s prestigious Blue Water Medal for his adventures aboard his Spencer 35, Whisper. World cruiser Alvah Simon roamed the planet on a 36-footer called Roger Henry. Heck, Lin and Larry Pardey’s Taleisin wasn’t even 30 feet long. In more recent times, production builders have eschewed the Midsize category in lieu of larger boats that are more profitable, but the Boat of the Year judges have a soft spot for modest-but-capable boats. For the 2025 contest, happily, they had a solid trio of nominees from which to choose.
WINNER: Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 350 Performance
Groupe Beneteau
This new Midsize offering from Jeanneau has a tough act to follow, as judge Tim Murphy explained: “The 350 replaces the brand’s Sun Odyssey 349, which was introduced in 2014 for $150,000, and was a commercial and critical success. They produced some 2,200 units, and it was the Overall Boat of the Year Winner that year. The 350 brings the company’s popular walkaround deck down to its smallest model. In practice, this feature contributed to good ergonomics at the helm station beyond merely walking forward. It allowed you to sit aft outboard facing forward, with room for your legs. The pushpit provided a brace for your hips when in optimal ergonomic winching position. This Marc Lombard design (one of three fetching sets of lines in the fleet) looked great across the water, both at rest and in motion. Only the slightest curl of a wake peeled back from the bow as she moved through the water.”
Herb McCormick added: “I was a huge fan of the 349, but I think they’ve really upped the game with this 350. We tested the Performance version, which was tricked out with great sails, floating jib leads and so forth. This is one fine sailboat, exquisitely executed. It’s definitely a couple’s boat, but it shows what you can accomplish in a smaller footprint. Plus, it was the only boat in this category with a price tag under $300,000. Bravo.”
Finalist: Catalina 356
Catalina Yachts
Catalina has introduced the “6 Series,” an evolution in its line of sailboats derived from in-house R&D and direct owner feedback. For the 2025 Boat of the Year contest, two of the six updated models earned nominations: the 426 and this smaller Midsize entry. Tim Murphy was on the judging team when the model was originally introduced, and recalls it well: “In the 2011 Boat of the Year competition, the Gerry Douglas-designed Catalina 355 took top honors that year from the entire fleet. And for good reason. Douglas described the boat as a coastal cruiser for owners with ambitions and aspirations, and that resonated with us. The 356 takes that same wholesome premise and adds subtle adjustments, including swept-back spreaders and interior treatments. While innovation can produce eureka ideas that others go on to copy, sometimes the most wholesome boats are composed of long-tested ingredients. And here we are.”
Finalist: Hanse 360
Hanse Yachts
The prodigious German builder has been a consistent presence in Boat of the Year for the past decade, mostly with full-size go-anywhere cruisers. The 360 is something completely different, as Herb McCormick pointed out. “I was really excited to check out the 360 for a couple of reasons,” he said. “First, it’s a creation from the Berret-Racoupeau design consortium, and I’m always impressed by their approach. Second, because I’m so used to testing the larger Hanse yachts, with their voluminous interiors and tall freeboard, I was eager to see their take on a Midsize boat. I wasn’t disappointed. The two-cabin layout is very practical. With its long waterline and ample freeboard, it by far delivered the most interior space and accommodations of any boat in its class. And I’m impressed by the fact that the standard sail plan is a traditional mainsail—I’m no fan of furling mains—coupled with a self-tacking jib. It really delivered a delightful sailing experience. It’s just so good to see that the marketplace has so many fine offerings under 40 feet.”
Click here to return to the 2025 Boat of the Year main page.
