The Italian Solaris 47 is intended to meet both sides of the performance-cruiser equation – and reward the discerning sailor.

The summer of 2019 has been uncharacteristically lacking in wind – great for cruising, not so great for sailing. But our day on the new Dufour 520 Grand Large (GL) provided us with more than enough breeze to put this beamy cruiser through her paces.

Sometimes the stars align – the weather, the time, the opportunity – they all finally coalesce into place. And there I was, fingers on the composite wheel gently guiding the yacht upwind at 6.2 knots in a warm 10–12 knot NE wind.

Small trimarans are ideal boats for coastal waters thanks to their shallow draught, large deck space and performance, so the Dragonfly 25 should feel right at home in New Zealand.

Like her bigger sister (the Soana 47, reviewed in our June 2018 issue), Fountaine Pajot’s new 12.5m Astrea 42 is a spacious, cleverly-designed catamaran with loads of features tailored to comfortable living and fun cruising.

Forty years ago, the splash of amateur-built yachts being launched was a weekly occurrence; these days they’re a rarity. And if we’re talking amateur designed as well as built yachts, well that’s about as common as being struck by lightning.