For sailors who thought they’d never find a center cockpit yacht they’d enjoy, enter the Outbound 52.

The Outbound 52 sports clean lines, moderate displacement, low freeboard, a low cockpit, a three-step companionway, and push button sailing, not to mention the sweetest helm you’ll find on any yacht, cruising or racing.

The Outbound 52 was voted the “2009 Best Boats Deck/Cockpit″ as well as “2009 Best Flagship” by Sail Magazine.

“Lambert [founder of Outbound Yachts] tapped a young up-and-coming southern California designer, Tim Kernan, to finalize the lines and the detailing on this new craft [the Outbound 52]. It was a savvy choice, as Kernan has a good sense of it takes to make a boat sail fast.

In short, the Outbound 52 is built for serious offshore work and can be easily handled in those conditions by a knowledgeable couple. The boat’s attractive lines, well thought-out details, and aggressive pricing should make it a strong contender among the well-proportioned and seakindly boats in this size range.