West Coaster Alan Andrews has drawn a long line of fast racing sleds, and with this 45-footer he shows that he can turn his mind to cruising too—fast cruising, that is. The Andrews 45 has pretty though reasonably conventional above-waterline looks, but a peek below the bootstripe reveals a stilettolike spade rudder and deep T-keel that obviously mean business. With just 12 feet, 7 inches of beam, this 45-footer is a skinny boat by modern standards, but its moderate girth and well-balanced hull form indicate excellent manners to windward, a promise underlined by its 9-foot draft. A dainty 14,650 pounds of displacement, almost 50 percent of which is ballast, points to outstanding all-round performance. There’s a three-cabin, two-heads cruising interior. Andrews says the boat is intended as a family-friendly club racer that also “has the capability to cross oceans and cruise for weeks at a time." www.andrewsyacht.com Peter Nielsen