First you have to sail a little boat. When you’re learning to sail, small boats teach you by reacting instantly to every puff, wave, sail adjustment, and turn of the tiller. They take you close to the water and evoke a range of responses; they can relax, thrill, scare, or addict you. Many sailors move to (or even begin with) more stable keelboats and never look back. But some never leave small boats, and others keep coming back. Why? Because a small boat can deliver a big sailing experience in a modest package. Because a small boat costs relatively little. Because it never stops teaching. Because it’s where sailing begins.

Fortunately for small-boat aficionados, there are plenty of daysailers on the market, from a full panoply of types: traditional, performance, production fiberglass, and modern classics. To get a sampling of what’s out there, SAIL editors went sailing. Read on: Daysailers

See More Daysailers for an expanded list of production daysailers.