Do your own boat test
Learn how to do a yacht test like the professionals with Yachting Monthly's full guide. We'll show you exactly what to look for when you're trialling any potential boat.
Sailing trials
You can’t always choose your weather, but if you have a choice of days, pick one when the wind is around 12 to 15 knots. This means that, to windward, you will have 17 to 20 knots over the deck – the point at which you may need to put in the first reef. You will also have a reasonably testing sea.
In these conditions you should be able to make a reasonably accurate judgement of the handling and performance of the boat in two to three hours sailing. Don’t be fobbed off with anything less than two hours and make sure you put the boat through a full range of manoeuvres. Take notes to remind yourself later. This is particularly important if you are comparing several different models.
Continue to the next picture to see what is involved in the sailing test...
