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5 Small Sailboats Capable of Sailing the World!
3 July 2026 · 11 min · 2K views
Sailboat cuts through open ocean under full sail
What this video covers
Five production sailboats under 40 feet—the Passport 40, Tayana 37, Westsail 32, Alberg 30, and Contessa 32—earned reputations for global cruising capability through proven performance in extreme conditions.▶ 0:13 The Passport 40, designed by Bob Perry, features a modified fin keel and skeg-hung rudder, with owners logging daily runs of 130 to 140 nautical miles.▶ 1:58 The Tayana 37, a full-keel double-ender, remains one of the most successful semi-custom cruising yachts with 588 hulls produced.▶ 3:37 The Westsail 32, displacing 19,500 pounds, gained fame for its heavy-duty fiberglass construction and role in popularizing the cruising lifestyle.▶ 5:23 The Alberg 30 gained notoriety when Yves Gélinas sailed his boat, *Jeanne du Sud*, around Cape Horn and invented the Cape Horn self-steering gear during the voyage.▶ 7:52 The Contessa 32 secured its status after the 1979 Fastnet race, where the boat *Ascent* was the only finisher in its class, proving its 156-degree angle of vanishing stability.▶ 9:25 Proper maintenance remains the primary factor for these aging designs.▶ 11:16
Boats in this video
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