Westsail the World...
 

HULL FORM...
Cruising sailboats are more comfortable and more stable if they have a moderately heavy displacement and wide beam. Contributing to the displacement is a full length keel of moderate draft.
A full keel also goes aground well, whether by accident or deliberately for maintenance work.
The balmy sailboat provides excellent cabin space below, a necessity for one’s sanity on long voyages. When this beam is carried fairly far forward and aft, yet not so far that performance is hindered, interior space is maximized.

Then there is the question of what type of stern. Wooden double enders are prevalent in many cruising meccas of the world. Considering the expense of building a Norwegian or canoe stern in wood, one realizes how much people must prefer them. It is not their beauty alone that draws, either. Bluewater sailors have discovered that the double ended hull handles a following sea on the stern creating a much easier motion than that of a racer / cruiser . And Westsailors miss the obvious "slapping" that occurs at harbor or in anchorages from water banging against those with transom sterns.