Sailing News

Cheryl DeSantis, Sailor’s World Passes

Cheryl DeSantis, co-owner of Sailor’s World Marina on Lake Minnetonka with husband Gary DeSantis, passed away unexpectedly March 8th. Cheryl, 53, and Gary DeSantis celebrated their thirtieth wedding anniversary in February. Cheryl is survived by her husband Gary; children, Rachel, Michael, Elizabeth, Jason and Anna. Cheryl was a beautiful wife and a supporting, loving mother to her family. She ran the business operations at Sailor’s World which employed many young people from the Lake Minnetonka area. She became the second mother and female role model to many of the “Sailor’s World family and staff.” Ten current and former staff members from Sailor’s World spoke at her memorial service. Our condolences to Gary and his family. The sailing community is grateful for all she so willingly gave in support with her engaging smile and joy.

New West Marine store in Stillwater!

There is a new West Marine store in town! The West Marine store in Stillwater, MN opened its doors on December 17, 2005. The store will be celebrating its Grand Opening on April 22nd. with a lot of fun, but then again what in boating isn't fun! West Marine will have door prizes, food and soda's all day long and of course discounted boating products.

The 5000 plus sq. ft. store is located in downtown Stillwater at 575 N. Main St. which is riverside of the Minnesota Zephyr dinner train. Products include tons of fishing gear, dinghys, kayaks, water sports, galley equipment, plumbing, electrical, safety, cleaners and maintenance, anchors and docking, trailering, and electronics. Anything and everything for your boat.

More specifically the fishing section has everything from rods and reels to rod holders as well as lures and nets. Everything! The store carries rigid or inflatable dinghys, tenders, and kayaks. In the galley section are coolers, grills, dishware and flags as well as accessories for each. In water sports you can find tubes, trampolines, towables, wakeboards, skis, kneeboards, and wakeskates. Life jackets and safety equipment are also available in the section. The maintenance section carries an assortment of cleaners, bottom and top paints, fiberglass resins and repair kits and all the accessories needed to complete any boat maintenance project. West Marine also carries a selection of Mercury outboard motors up to 25hp. There also is a nice selection of trailer equipment, lights and trailer jacks available.

In electronics West Marine has something for everyone in every price range: VHF's, Radar, GPS, Fish finders, binoculars along with marine stereo's and waterproof or water resistant speakers for your boat.
The West Marine store in Stillwater is bringing a large marine specific selection of boating products along with a very knowledgeable staff to serve your boating needs in the eastern Minneapolis / St Paul metro area, the upper Mississippi and St. Croix river valleys, and the West Central Wisconsin area. Stop by, you will be pleasantly surprised by this beautiful store.

Hunter 41DS Takes Two Top Awards in Cruising World Magazine’s 2006 “Boat of the Year” Competition

Cruising World magazine has announced the Hunter 41DS as the winner in the “Production Cruisers 40 to 44 feet” category and the overall “Best Value” award as part of its 12th annual Boat of the Year Awards. The results are featured in Cruising World’s January 2006 issue.

“These awards are a resounding endorsement of our recent effort to draw attention to the level of quality that the Hunter line has attained,” said John Peterson, director of sales and marketing for Hunter. “The judges have a lot of experience and very high standards, so winning these awards really validates what our sailing research and customers are telling us.”

Models introduced to the North American market between the 2004 and 2005 U.S. Sailboat Shows were eligible for the contest. Forty-two were entered into the competition, but only 26 were selected to be nominees. The nominated boats were then inspected and sailed by independent judges, who toured the boats at the October 2005 U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland, and sailed them on the Chesapeake Bay over four days.

The “Best Value” award takes into account the quality of the boat and the price. “The 41DS is a good package at a good price point that should retain its value over time,” said Herb McCormick, editor-at-large for Cruising World.

In describing the Hunter 41DS, contest judge Ed Sherman stated: “I liked this boat a lot. It certainly represents a lot of bang for the buck. The systems upgrades over earlier Hunters I’ve looked at were just phenomenal. They’ve improved exponentially, in my opinion.”

Judge Suzanne Giesemann noted the 41DS’s outstanding interior brightness, ventilation, and design. “The ventilation was very good for a deck salon. Hunter has always been good at appealing to women buyers without layouts and interiors,” she said.

The 41DS is a new version of hunter’s recently introduced 41 aft cockpit model, and sports an updated profile and roomier interior created by raising the deck to allow a taller and larger salon.

“Sailboat interiors are trending towards more open designs,” said Peterson. “The 41’s deck salon version has more panoramic views and great visibility from the larger, elevated windows.”

The new profile creates almost a “sport sedan” look for the 41DS, and its large polished-aluminum windows definitely set the DS apart from its sister ship.

Inside, the headroom is a spectacular 6’10”. The columinous ceilings are covered with a light fabric called Whisper-Air, which combines with the increased light entering from the sizeable new windows to produce a comfortable, bright and open feel.

The standard two-cabin version has an aft master stateroom with queen innerspring mattress, cedar-lined hanging locker, built-in vanity, and a dual-entrance head with shower; the forward guest suite has a wide double berth, built-in vanity, and private head with shower. A three-cabin version is also offered.

Galley highlights include a custom stainless steel refrigerator and freezer, dual sinks, pantry, gimbaled two-burner propane stove with over, a glass-fronted lighted dishware cabinet and deluxe Corian countertops.
The 41DS can be equipped for bluewater sailing with its HKT Kevlar reinforced hull, composite rudder and shaft, and winged shoal draft antimonius lead keel secured with stainless steel keelbolts, exterior hardware and comprised of durable marine brands: Lewmar winches, Harken traveler system, and Whitlock steering.
Hunter Marine distributes sailboats from nine to 46 feet in more than 46 countries throughout the world. For more information, visit www.huntermarine.com.