Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2017 i Motor Boat & Yachting

Team Britannia’s round-the-world record challenger has at last been turned the right way up. The 10-tonne 80ft aluminium hull, being built by the Hampshire-based Aluminium Boatbuilding Company on Hayling Island for Alan Priddy’s roundthe-world record attempt, was lifted out of its upside-down jig. The jig secured the 20km of framing and supports while they were welded together. The operation involved lifting the bow of the boat on to a special A-frame cradle by hand just four inches at a time while the stern was hoisted more than a metre into the air by crane. “Monday was just incredible – the culmination of six years’ blood sweat and tears that brought us to this point. It was an amazing day and a major milestone for the project,” said Priddy. The biggest…

Boot Düsseldorf is hoping to smash last year’s visitor numbers when the gates open on January 21. The show is already Europe’s biggest boat and water sports exhibition, spanning more than 220,000 square metres of space spread across 17 different halls. Its timing shortly after the London Boat Show makes it difficult for exhibitors to show the same boat at both events so major manufacturers have had to choose which show they will use as their global launch platform for new models. This year, Sunseeker and Princess have chosen to launch the Manhattan 66 and Princess S60 at London, while Fairline has opted to show the new Squadron 53 at Düsseldorf. German manufacturers Bavaria and Hanse are both favouring their home show for the launch of the R40 Coupé and…

Why does the RNLI need volunteers? Only 5% of the RNLI’s workforce are fulltime paid employees. The remaining 95% are trained volunteers. Around 4,700 of these are volunteer lifeboat crew, with a further 3,000 shore crew, 150 lifeguards and 20,000 fundraisers. Who volunteers? Volunteers come from all walks of life. The only prerequisites the RNLI insists on are that they “strive for excellence, are trustworthy, courageous, selfless and dependable.” Is there an age limit? Volunteers need to be over 18 (or over 17 with parental permission) but under 65 to be a member of an all-weather lifeboat crew. You need to be under 55 for an inshore lifeboat crew volunteer. What boat experience must volunteers have? Volunteers are provided with full training, so they don’t need any seafaring qualifications. Do…

The first time I drove an Aston Martin is a time I’ll never forget. I was a budding car journalist, barely out of short trousers and in awe of the trust placed in my inexperienced hands. The car in question was a Virage Vantage, a vast beast of a thing with a handbuilt 5.3-litre supercharged V8 developing 550hp and enough torque to spin the globe on its axis. At the time it was one of the most powerful cars in the world, yet it was dressed in such a sober set of hand-crafted aluminium panels that you’d never have known it. Even back in the 1990s, it was something of an anachronism – a lumbering dinosaur struggling to keep pace with a new breed of faster, leaner, sexier supercars from…

Sessa’s period of uncertainty has come to an end and, thanks to investment from the Chinese dealer, it’s great to see one of the true innovators of the industry back in the game. In its pomp, Sessa was a byword for stylish design and near fanatical detailing, a potent combination of Italian glamour underpinned by genuinely intelligent boatbuilding. The C68 stands out as an icon of its time and, though the recession years have been hard on the Bergamo-based yard, new models are coming to the fore and one of the most important is the C42. In order to get people back into the brand, a boat within a core section of the market like the C42 needs to be right on the money. It’s an interesting concept, described by…

Why go electric? Many boat owners have already discovered the joys of carrying a folding bicycle on board. It allows you to explore further afield than the immediate confines of whatever marina you happen to be visiting and makes that boring but necessary trip to the supermarket that much less of a chore. But even the best folding bikes can prove a bit of a slog, especially in warmer climes – after all, the only way is uphill from most marinas. Now, however, the latest generation of folding electric bikes promises to take you further and faster than ever before, whatever your age or fitness level. Designed from the ground up as electric bikes rather than hastily converted pedal cycles, they feature powerful electric motors, long-range lithium ion batteries and…

Sentinel Boat Monitor one of the joys of living so close to my boat is peace of mind borne of the fact that it’s ‘within range’. If I haven’t had a chance to use it recently, a 20-minute stroll puts me on board to ensure all is well with my pride and joy. It’s something I’d really struggle with if I lived far inland, or worse (at least from this perspective, if not from the weather perspective), if the boat were abroad. sentinel marine solutions have a natty solution to this conundrum however – the Boat monitor. Viewed via an app on your smartphone, it allows you to monitor bilge pump use (it will let you know if it starts running), battery state (up to four batteries) and provides a…

NORDHAVN 46 I wouldn’t mind a pint for every time someone told me they’re planning to buy a boat and charter her out to combine business with pleasure. We tried chartering out our previous boat Rapport but decided against it for Envoy, our current Nordhavn 46. In our experience, chartering is fraught with traps for the uninitiated and requires high booking levels to make a profit. Chartering generally falls into two categories. The first and easiest category involves buying a boat managed by a chartering company, which reserves it for your use several weeks each year. This can work if the company is well run and achieves the expected number of bookings but leaves little room for manoeuvre if not. Our experience lies in the second category of trying to…

Stirred, not shaken Could the AM37 be the next Bond boat? James Bond famously prefers his martinis shaken, not stirred, but when it comes to boats, we prefer it the other way around. Thankfully, Hugo’s sea trial of the new Aston Martin 37 (p42) confirms that the British builder’s first boat stirs up all the right emotions without shaking the teeth from your head. Now all it needs is someone at Eon Productions to give it the nod as the next Bond boat.…

Hunton Powerboats has held a meeting of its creditors to discuss the option of putting the company into voluntary liquidation. The Hampshire-based manufacturer of high-performance sportsboats has instructed licensed insolvency practitioners Valentine & Co to handle the process. At the time of going to press in mid-December, it looked likely that the voluntary liquidation process would go ahead Hunton manufactures sportscruisers and RIBs from 27ft to 43ft in Romsey, Hampshire, and is well known for the strong build quality, performance and seakeeping of its craft. But, it has struggled to compete with the flood of new models and keen prices of highervolume builders. Hunton had been pinning its hopes on the new 54ft XRS54, due for launch later this year, which may yet prove to be the prize asset for…

Work on a basin providing 148 new berths will triple capacity at Harleyford Marina on the River Thames. It should be ready in time for the start of the season in April. Moorings will cost between £381 and £440 (inc VAT) per metre. The existing marina accommodates all kinds of boats from day boats to Dutch barges. Phase two of the refurbishment will take from April until September. Established in 1950, the marina is owned and managed by the Harleyford Estate. The site enjoys a Five Gold Anchor rating. “We’re looking forward to offering our clients the best moorings available on the River Thames,” said manager Mark Pearce. “Harleyford had the first gravel pit to be used as a marina back in the late 1960s and it’s very pleasing to…

An unusual race between power and sail will take place later this year when the cruise liner Queen Mary 2 will take on a fleet of giant sailing trimarans in a sprint across the Atlantic. The boat race is part of The Bridge, a maritime festival taking place simultaneously in Nantes, France and New York in June and July. The event pays tribute to the US troops and the Allies who fought to put an end to the World War I. The Centennial Transat race will be the highlight and involves a dash across the Atlantic from the bridge of Saint-Nazaire to New York’s Verrazano Bridge, commemorating the route of the first US troops to land in France. Queen Mary 2 will be cruising at a steady 25 knots over…

LONDON Stand G100 Sunseeker Manhattan 66 Arriving hot on the heels of the Manhattan 52, which launched at Cannes in September and has already secured a reported £30 million-worth of retail sales, the 66 borrows many of its styling cues from its smaller sibling. The standard boat comes with the galley located aft in the saloon, where it serves the cockpit just as easily as the internal living spaces. There is the option, though, to lose the fourth cabin, move the galley below and gain a large extra seating area aft in the saloon. In a first for the Poole yard, the amidships master suite has its own direct-access staircase leading down from the saloon, following in the footsteps of Prestige and Princess. The cockpit mimics that of the 52…

THE 2017 FINALISTS After much debate, the judges have whittled the entries for this year’s awards down to a select group of finalists Every boat that has been tested and published by Motor Boat & Yachting magazine up to and including the February 2017 issue has automatically been entered into one of eight categories, then narrowed down by our judges to a select group of finalists. The panel will now review the finalists for the last time before selecting winners in each category. In some instances, the judges will also award a highly commended. The results will be announced at a gala dinner on January 9 and on www.mby.com. SPORTSBOATS & RIBS Anytec 747 CAB Aston Martin AM37 Axopar 24 Axopar 37 Cormate T27 Invictus 240 WHEELHOUSE & COCKPIT CRUISERS…

The Moorings has been providing highquality charters all over the world since 1969, and from humble beginnings, has grown into an industry leader. A power charter with The Moorings offers you the choice of craft and range of destinations to go further, see more and get the most out of your cruising holiday. Experienced powerboater at The Moorings Sebastian Hirst explains why a power charter provides an unforgettable experience. Why choose a power catamaran with The Moorings? With over 45 years of experience in the industry, The Moorings offers a wide range of spacious power catamarans from 39ft-51ft, which provide premium living space without compromising on performance. The Moorings catamarans are chic, stylish and great fun to cruise without being overly complicated. Choose from more than ten destinations worldwide, from…

The interior of this first 80 features a lot of oak veneers in various contrasting shades and textures, and lots of other expensive stuff from Hermes, Armani Casa and Minotti To make a new yacht look different is easy. What’s difficult is making it look right, keeping the language of the design intelligible to the eye, and avoiding innovations whose only purpose is to attract attention. Novelty soon gets old. When the first Monte Carlo Yachts model was unveiled at the Cannes boat show just six years ago, it was obviously a serious piece of work. It was distinctive and grown up. It was 76ft long and had a certain authority, comfortable in its own skin. On top of all this, it was also – with its curvaceous mouldings, bubbling…

MEL BARTLETT: Lost in translation For a few years, I earned my living by swanning around in a 55ft yacht. But even a dream job like that has its off days. One of them was when bad weather forced us to make an unplanned stop in Concarneau. Concarneau is a lovely spot but according to the chart, there wasn’t enough water in the marina for our 9ft draft, so I headed for the lesslovely (but deeper) fishing port. Within minutes of getting our warps ashore, a battered harbour launch turned up. As far as its crew were concerned, we were a plaisancier, so we belonged in the Port de Plaisance. And if we didn’t move ourselves, they would move us. Cecilia, my cook-mate, spoke French with an exquisite Parisian accent,…

Children. They start off as tiny bundles of joy that steal your sleep and suck the very life force from you and end up as sulky teenagers that despise you. However, there is a brief hiatus – before they learn the devastating power of the word ‘whatever’ and disappear forever into a world of utterly vapid social media – where they’re actually quite good fun. Or at least, tolerable. It’s very important that as a parent, you capitalise on this all-too-tiny window of opportunity by taking them boating at the earliest opportunity. It’s equally important, apparently, that you don’t drown them in the process. Crewsaver is on hand to keep your precious darlings safe with a range of children’s lifejackets, the latest of which is the Euro 100N. It’s an…

Torqeedo’s environmentally friendly electric outboard motors are behind some of the amazing images enjoyed by millions in the BBC’s recent Planet Earth II wildlife series. Torqeedo’s near-silent and emissions-free electric outboards were chosen by the producers for their ability to transport the camera teams without disturbing the animals or polluting the water. The BBC’s desire to preserve the environment led them to approach German firm Torqeedo back in 2014. Choosing the Travel 1003 model – with its rechargeable batteries and solar panel for recharging in the field – they used them to film the elusive pink river dolphins living in the flooded rain forests of Brazil. Providing a decent turn of speed with a low-maintenance non-polluting power system that could be recharged in remote locations using solar panels, the engines…

A taste of the high life as experienced by the owner of both a Mercedes-Benz car and boat is being made available in Monte Carlo this spring. The Silver Arrows Marine Granturismo Experience shows potential buyers what it would be like to own the €2.5 million Mercedes-Benz Style-designed 14m motor boat as well as one of Mercedes’ luxury cars . Guests are taken on a day-long journey by land and sea using Mercedes cars and the Arrow 460-Granturismo boat, the first of which has conveniently been named Mercedes. It’s billed as ‘a day being seduced by emotive design, exquisite materials and a completely fresh approach to lifestyle living on board such a boat.’ Silver Arrows Marine CEO Jacopo Spadolini says, “The Arrow 460-Granturismo has had a rapturous reception but like…

At this time of year, in our grey northern climes, it’s cheering to dream about warmer, bluer waters where you might genuinely unwind and top up your tan. So for this winter holiday special I have picked five fabulous boating areas around the world where you can charter comfortable motor yachts from well-organised companies and escape on a sunshine cruise for a week or two. This personal selection has steered clear of regions where political tensions or uncertainties could make some travellers feel uneasy. However, a few of them require flying a fair distance, and my New Zealand charter area is almost exactly on the opposite side of the world to where we live in Devon! The five destinations are not presented in any particular order, but are all halcyon…

So I’m cheap. There, I admit it. As cheap as anyone who owns 56ft of Dutch steel trawler yacht, aka the Money Pit, can be. Let me loose in a boat jumble and I’ll snap up every half-empty can of wax polish that’s not yet set to the consistency of concrete. Rope? No piece is too short, too long or too chunky for my lazarette – as long as it’s pennies on the pound. Paint? Don’t get me started. We may have been reckless enough to sell up our life in Florida to fulfil a long-held dream to buy a liveaboard boat and cruise through France to the Mediterranean (see MBY January-May 2016) but we’re still working to a tight budget. Having now actually reached the Med we hope to…

ASKMBY FIRST BOAT I’m thinking about getting into boating and would like some advice on a first boat. The thing is, my budget is only around £10,000. Is there good stuff out there for this sort of cash? Max, Colchester If people are looking for a secondhand starter boat on a budget, I always recommend a RIB. The reasons for this are plentiful. Firstly, there are a lot of them about so you’re likely to find one to suit your budget. They are also covered in rubber, so the stress of nudging up to a pontoon or another boat is removed. For their size, RIBs are also very seaworthy and practically designed with deep decks, secure seating and plenty to hold on to. They’re versatile, too. Water sports, day cruises…

The latest step in the evolution of Simrad’s NSS range offers little that is new but a lot that is improved in a range of four multifunction displays – 7, 9, 12, and 16in, at prices ranging from £1,519 for the 7in model to £5,579 for the 16in version. The highlight of the new range is the use of Advanced SolarMAX screens, which use a technology called in-plane switching to deliver bright, highdefinition imaging, with exceptional clarity in direct sunlight, wide viewing angles, and improved colour accuracy. The touchscreen control function has been improved too, so it’s now accurate and responsive even when it’s wet or spattered with rain or spray. This is combined with Touch Sensible controls – when the motion of the boat makes touchscreen operation tricky, a…

KEY CRITERIA • Big on the inside • Small on the outside • Good quality 2008 £224,995 Jeanneau Prestige 46 Two years ago, the stand-alone prestige (as the name infers) echelon of Jeanneau wowed the world with a sub-70ft main-deck master cabin and recently it launched a 75-footer. Yet barely under a decade ago, this 46-footer, still with Jeanneau in the title, was the flagship model. Progress indeed. INTERIOR Considering it’s a three-cabin mid-40ft flybridge boat, it’s interesting that the most spectacular element of the interior isn’t all the bedrooms – it’s the saloon. You’d expect a little compromise in deference to the sleeping areas, but the reality is almost the reverse – it’s vast! A large lounge area greets you through the aft doors, there’s a Ushaped galley plus,…