Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2023 i Motor Boat & Yachting

It’s easy to get hung up about buying the right boat. And rightly so – they are expensive things. But there is also something to be said for the more gung-ho approach of just getting on with it. Paul and Sally Weston are the perfect examples of this. They bought their modest 1990 Mitchell 31 Sea Angler back in 1999 when it was the ideal craft for taking their children and friends out for day trips around Poole harbour. But when the kids grew up it got moved to the back garden and largely forgotten about until 2017 when they decided something had to be done about it. The original plan was to clean it up and sell it for a few grand to put towards the purchase of a…

An old MBY favourite, MY Caramba, is now back in the Mediterranean following a 15-month restoration at Stirling & Son in Plymouth. This beautifully proportioned 63ft gentleman’s motoryacht – complete with Portuguese bridge, faux funnel and canoe stern – departed the yard at the end of the summer and is now in Greek waters with her new owners, who acquired her in 2020. Designed by Fred Parker and built at J Samuel White in Cowes, Isle of Wight, MY Caramba was first featured in MBY just prior to her original launch in May 1962, when we declared her to have been “robustly constructed” in steel and aluminium. She then spent the next four decades cruising extensively around the Mediterranean with various owners, until she was purchased by Philip Hardstaff, who…

Riva is building a limited-edition version of its gorgeous Aquariva runabout to mark its 180th birthday. The model has been named the Riva Anniversario. Only 18 examples will be built, one for every ten years of the brand’s existence. Although it features a composite GRP hull with polished mahogany planking on the foredeck, rather than a full wooden hull, many of its styling cues are taken from the iconic 1960s Aquarama, which also turns 60 this year. Measuring 33ft long and with a top speed of just over 40 knots, the Anniversario is powered by twin 370hp Yanmar 8LVs hooked up to electronically controlled two-speed gearboxes. One of the 18 examples built is being donated by Riva’s parent company, the Ferretti Group, to David Beckham’s 7 Fund, which raises money…

Chertsey-based Karl Farrant Marine Sales has started importing the classic Nidelv 950 S-Line river and coastal cruiser. This much-loved Scandinavian design started out as a Northstar but the rights and tooling were recently acquired by the Dutch yard, Smelne, which has engaged Norwegian boatbuilder Nidelv to build them in sets of five. The canoe-sterned faux-clinker 950 S Line is available with a single inboard 110hp Volvo Penta or Yanmar diesel shaft drive engine for a maximum speed of around 15 knots. Sailaway prices in the UK start at £219,750 including VAT. Karl Farrant has been working with Smelne for more than 20 years and plans to keep one or two 950 S Line demonstrators in stock for UK customers to view.…

ON THE ROCKS YARMOUTH When I began boating Mrs S bought me a book, presumably to give me a shove in what she considered to be the right direction. Entitled Shipwrecks of the Wight, it reveals how thousands of boats have perished around the island over the years. Floundering on the rocks was how many of them ended up, so it was with some trepidation that I reserved a slot at an eatery of that very name a month or so ago. But I needn’t have worried, for as many boaters venturing to the Isle of Wight know full well, On the Rocks is a great place to end up after a day at sea. Located in Yarmouth, a stone’s throw from the Needles, Shingles and multiple other nautical hazards,…

There’s a new sportscruiser at the entry point to Sessa’s fleet. Known as the C3X, it maximises its breadth of appeal by means of several key options. You can go for the Hardtop, the T-Top or the Open variant. You can opt for twin outboards or for inboards. And you can spec it with the galley either up or down. In all cases, this 12-person family boat provides handy five-berth potential, thanks to a forward master cabin, a transverse double amidships and a convertible single on the starboard side of the central lounge. Back up top, the outboard option frees up masses of storage beneath the aft sunbed, without critically inhibiting the usability of those aft platforms. There’s also easy seating for five at the port dinette, plus some clever…

Twisted’s new T300S will appeal to anyone who is a fan of the Axopar 25 but wants to ramp up the power, performance and gadget appeal. The reinforced transom gets a 300hp outboard, a custom prop and a mechanical jack plate. The skipper and co-pilot get impact mitigation seats to soften the swells, plus a steering wheel with integrated switches for trim tabs and bow thruster. And while the waspish contrast between ‘Bahama Gold’ and matt black grab rails is striking, it’s good to see that the lovely concave hull sides have been echoed in the cockpit storage boxes. Underway, there’s plenty of fun to be had. You can hit 40 knots in 14 seconds, scoot through to a top end of 50 knots or cruise along at 30 knots…

PORTUGUESE VAT Your readers should be very wary about bringing their boats to Portugal if they come from a country outside the EU. I am a Portuguese resident and the half owner of a 62ft boat registered in New Zealand and owned by a NZ company, which has spent the last two winters moored in Vilamoura. I recently received a letter from Portuguese customs asking for all the boat’s paperwork, which I supplied, including the valid European VAT certificate. I then received a report saying that because we had allegedly been to Gibraltar twice, we were due to pay Portuguese IVA at 23% based on an arbitrary valuation, plus a fine of some €10k totalling over €165,000. I understand they have issued similar notices to owners of other boats in…

Humphree may have invented the original interceptor trim tab and the first active trim stabilisation system, but with competitors like Zipwake and Seakeeper now offering similar alternatives, the Swedish manufacturer needed to move the game on. The new Lightning series of automatic interceptors does exactly that. Aimed at the market for 20-45ft boats with top speeds of up to 60 knots, it is said to offer better stabilisation under way, as well as improved automatic trim, pitch and cornering control, plus a number of other new features. The most visible of these is a row of underwater lights built into the interceptor blade’s housing. The 25W LEDs are moulded in as standard during the manufacturing process and are fully adjustable for colour, although Humphree charges an extra €870 to have…

For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to take my boat to the Scillies – and having moved F to the West Country three years ago, the fact that it’s now 100 miles closer has made it much more realistic. I originally planned to head for the Scillies in 2020, but Covid put paid to that. The following year, a combination of a line around our outdrive and some awful weather made it impossible once again. But in 2022, I was determined to make it happen. The early season weather looked promising. The engine and outdrive of my Windy 28 Ghibli had been serviced, we had spares on board, and the boat was fuelled and ready to go. To load the dice, I also booked the whole of…

The Nord West range is relatively rare here in the UK but once you have been on board a good example, you cannot help but be impressed by the quality of build and level of detail. These boats were expensive in their day but you can see where the money has gone the minute you step aboard. From a distance, it is a very traditional-looking flybridge boat but behind the scenes, the detail in engineering, design and finish is a pleasure to see. Points to note when considering buying: ▪ With all foam-cored hulls, be especially aware of any previous repairs to the hull in case the core itself suffered water ingress. Careful moisture testing and hammer sounding will expose areas of concern. ▪ Check the teak decks for signs…

Galeon is once again pushing the boundaries of flybridge yacht design with a daring new 560 Fly model due to be launched at the Düsseldorf show next month. This all-new Tony Castro-designed boat replaces the outgoing 550 Fly and as with its predecessor features a raft of striking new innovations. Foremost among these are glass inserts in the folding bulwarks/side terraces that not only give guests a better view out from the cockpit and saloon when raised but also allow you to stand or sit on the reinforced glass looking directly down at the water when lowered. They also significantly increase the size of the cockpit, expanding the already wide beam measurement from 15ft 10in to 22ft 4in. As with the 500 Fly, the port side terrace turns into an…

Catamaran specialist Sunreef has released renderings of a stunning new hybrid-powered 55 Open. This sleek new model with its reverse bow and forward-raked windscreen sports a walkaround deck and fold-down aft terraces that extend an already wide cockpit even further. Despite what looks like an enclosed wheelhouse amidships, it’s actually open at the back, providing a seamless connection between the sunbathing area aft and the covered cockpit and helm station further forward. The accommodation features two ensuite doubles forward, one in each hull. Both have similar-size aft-facing beds but the standard layout shows a larger cabin to port with quite a bit more floor space than the starboard one. This leaves room for a third single cabin to starboard with a transverse bed and a heads compartment, so could be…

Boot Düsseldorf, the world’s largest indoor boat show, will open its doors for the first time in three years on 21 January 2023. The event, which usually takes place every year, had to be cancelled in both 2021 and 2022 due to pandemic travel restrictions. This year the nine-day Saturday-to-Sunday exhibition is expected to be busier than ever, with around 1,600 exhibitors from 50 countries showing their wares at the Messe Düsseldorf showground. The motor boat halls are likely to be particularly well attended due to a number of major world premieres from the big British and European brands. Sunseeker is launching its new Superhawk 55, Princess is unveiling an all-new S72, and it will be the first European showing of the new Pearl 72. Other world debuts include the…

Having made its debut at the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show in November, the all-new 72 has taken its place between the popular Pearl 62 and the more luxurious Pearl 80. As expected, the creative credits go to the usual design duo of Dixon Yacht Design for the hull, exterior and layout, and Kelly Hoppen for the interior styling, finishes and colour schemes. To keep things simple, she has split these into three different looks for customers to pick from – Indulgence, Modern and Luxury. The key highlights of the layout include a fantastically bright main saloon with an elegant aft lounge, a loft-style island galley amidships and a big dinette beneath the windscreen. There’s also a two-seat lower helm to starboard. Down below, four ensuite cabins immediately differentiate this model…

Although FIM (Fabbrica Italiana Motoscafi) was only founded in 2019, its progress has been rapid. With the 340 Regina safely in production and development of both the Contessa (coupé) and Imperatrice (flybridge) lines well underway, the yard’s new FIM 470 Regina has now been awarded “Best Revelation Of The Year” at the Genoa Boat Show. As a slick, Med-style open boat, a key element of the 470’s design brief was to take you closer to the water – and the engagingly original “Bow Life Concept” does a good job of achieving that. According to FIM founders, Corrado Piccinelli and Manuela Barcella, the idea was to take advantage of the foredeck’s natural privacy by creating what they call a “second cockpit in the bow”. That involves a forward sunpad that can…

Vandal of the Netherlands is best known for its slick superyacht-style chase boats. But here, in V collaboration with celebrated Norwegian designer Espen Oino, is the first in a line of fly-equipped aluminium cats where simplicity is more important than glitz. Both the main and fly decks are left wide open, with skeletal frames to keep the views big and access simple. There’s plenty of space for custom furniture and on board tenders and toys and it’s designed to be green too. The hulls and topsides are fully recyclable, the antifouling is non-toxic, there are solar panels at the aft end of the flybridge and the heads has an eco-friendly toilet. Below the waterline, the Vandal uses passive foils for a smoother ride with reduced spray, uprated high-speed stability and…

PRESTIGE POWERCAT Does it really combine the space, comfort and efficiency of a multi-hull with the style, quality and pace of a luxury monohull? We find out RENEWABLE DIESEL Forget the bio-diesel horror stories – HV0100 is better for your engine than fossil diesel and a lot cleaner. Is this the key to greener boating? BUYING SECONDHAND One reader reveals the truth about buying a secondhand boat, warts and all, so you know what to expect when it’s your turn to buy…

There aren’t many things to celebrate about lockdown but the new Dale Classic 37 may just be one of them. It was the temporary shutdown of Dale’s boat building business in early 2020 that gave managing director Mike Reynolds the time to reflect on what its next boat might be. By then the elegant Classic 45 was already 13 years old and although it had been joined by a Classic 35 in 2014, Mike felt there was room for something in between, something that combined the timeless looks and style of the Classic 45 with the superior packaging and more manageable proportions of the 35. He even had a customer willing to fund the build. Just one problem remained; Arthur Mursell of TT Boat Designs, the naval architecture firm behind…

SEE MORE mby.com/s78 Not so long ago, buyers looking for a 60-80ft motor boat had a fairly simple choice to make. You just needed to decide whether you wanted a flybridge, a sportscruiser or a trawler yacht, and then pick from the half a dozen or so well established brands that built them. Job done. These days, the sheer variety of choice on offer makes things rather trickier. Not only have the categories evolved to include sportsyachts, navettas, swift trawlers, adventure boats and countless other crossover craft, but the number of yards building them has increased exponentially too. Sirena is a perfect case in point. Prior to 2017, very few people outside the industry had even heard of the Turkish manufacturer, which until that point had largely stayed in the…

A few months ago we revealed the quite remarkable U-Boat Worx Nexus, an extra large personal submarine that could seat up to eight people. Clearly someone at U-Boat Worx took one look at this leviathan and uttered three simple words: “Hold my beer.” Welcome to the U-Boat Worx Nautilus. Forget personal submarines, this is a submersible superyacht! At over 37 metres long and weighing 1,250 tonnes, it can function as a yacht or as a submersible. Onboard facilities include a bar, pool, lounge and dining room, four luxury guest cabins, a spacious master bedroom and a galley. The diesel-electric power offers up to 9 knots of cruising capability on the surface, 4 knots submerged, and it will have a depth rating of 200 metres! (A short pause please, to consider…

Having heard my fellow RMYC club members extol the virtues of picturesque Bembridge Harbour, we decided to investigate further. The website told of lovely nature walks and fine beaches and at just 40nm from Poole, it didn’t look especially intimidating. With good weather, our Landau 29 ought to see us from pontoon to pontoon very comfortably. We continued our planning with a look at the Almanac. That gave us a slightly more concerning note about the narrow entrance channel. The bar almost dries out entirely and most of the harbour becomes mud at low water. But while it was tempting to look for somewhere more straightforward to visit, we had been keen to expand our boating horizons for a while so we decided to give it a go. PAUSING FOR…

Pardo has unveiled the first renderings of its new flagship GT75. Penned by Zuccheri Yacht Design and Nauta Design, this two-deck walkaround strikes an aggressive pose with a reverse-angled bow and forward-raked windshield and saloon doors. However, the big excitement is a huge new beach club zone spread across three different levels and featuring a number of enticing new ideas. The fold-down terraces are particularly unusual as they are set higher than normal and can be adjusted to any angle, allowing them to be used as high-backed sofas, relaxed sunloungers or glorified diving platforms. The space between them can be left open for free-standing furniture and tender stowage or fitted with a huge central sunpad above an enclosed tender garage. If you opt for the former you can also have…

A collection of classic cars has helped raise thousands of pounds for the RNLI. The H&H Classics auction, held at the Imperial War Museum Duxford, included 15 vehicles owned by the estate of the late banker and avid sailor Robert ‘Bob’ Furniss Rider. The cars were sold without reserve and raised a whopping £1.1 million. As the residual beneficiary of his will, the RNLI does not yet know how much it will receive from the auction but the high figure bodes well for the charity. The most valuable lot was a Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Sedanca Coupe, which sold for £170,000; the oldest was a 1924 Bentley Vanden Plas Tourer, which raised £140,000. The RNLI’s Head of Legacies, Helen Hopkins, said that gifts left in wills are a hugely important…

Cox Marine set a new speed record for diesel outboard engines at the 50th Coniston Power Boat Records Week in November. A single stock 4.4-litre 300hp Cox CXO300 fitted to the transom of a Hallett Vector 21 race boat called Pegasus broke its own record four times before delivering a final-run average of 62.27mph. Piloted by seasoned powerboat racer Adam Brown, the engine was fuelled by HVO100, a form of renewable diesel made from hydrotreated vegetable oil that is chemically identical to mineral oil diesel and far better suited for marine engines than first generation bio-diesels. Cox claims its engine offers a 28% fuel saving over an equivalent 300hp petrol engine and, when burning HVO100, a net CO2 emissions reduction of 92%. See next month’s MBY for a full report…

Our first season at Noss on Dart Marina on the River Dart has flown by. I’ve owned or shared boats in Torquay harbour on and off for 30 years so I was a little trepidatious of the move, but I’m glad to say that it’s really paid off, bar a couple of tiny glitches. The first you’d never imagine could be the problem that it is, and it’s that the freshwater taps on the marina are only a couple of inches above the deck and stick out sideways. I guarantee the genius who came up with that idea has never tried to fill a bucket with water from one. It’s not just the bucket thing, most of us these days use collapsing hoses. These brilliant space-saving devices shrivel when empty…

Premium Dutch brand, Zeelander, has launched a seductive new 56ft luxury cruiser. Known as the Z6, it has been conceived as part of a broader rebranding exercise, which aims to introduce a fresher feel to the classical curves for which Zeelander has become so famous. And while the first Z6 to roll off Zeelander’s painstaking production line has been colour-matched to the owner’s Ferrari, it’s good to see that the broader changes feel more like considered evolution than radical tangent. For instance, Zeelanders have always featured fairly dramatic one-piece windscreens but here, the Z6 uses a full wraparound, double-curved screen to provide near perfect 360-degree visibility. The screen also forms an integral part of the Z6’s new style, which, according to Zeelander Yachts founder and owner, Sietse Koopmans, twists the…

After an intensive selection process, we can exclusively reveal the finalists for the 2023 Motor Boat of the Year Awards. Sponsored by Sleipner, world leaders in improving comfort and safety at sea, the awards are widely considered to be the Oscars of the boating world. That’s because every boat has to go through an exhaustive sea trial process just to be considered. It is the only way our judges can be certain that our finalists deliver on the water as well as in the showroom. The winners will be announced on 24 January, at a special event to mark the occasion, and online at www.mby.com In addition to the eight categories shown here, we will also be handing out a Judges’ Special Award and Customer Service Award (see below). NOMINATE…

SEE MORE mby.com/ib827 Swedish brothers, Lars and Henrik Peterson, own and run one of the world’s most prolific RIB businesses. They shift a lot of boats and they talk to a lot of boaters so they understand what their RIB customers want. And perversely, what they appear to want is not a RIB at all. It’s a stable, high-volume open sports boat with outstanding sea manners and a confidence-inspiring wraparound fender to take the stress out of close-quarters work. So the Peterson brothers set about building it. Under development since 2016, in close collaboration with the alchemic minds at Mannerfelt Design, their solution has now landed in the UK. THE IRON BOATS USP The basic idea is simple. You take a hard sports boat with a high-performance hull and wrap…

After weeks of checking weather forecasts, the perfect weather pattern was emerging – a huge high pressure in the mid Atlantic that appeared to be stationary. It was time to jump on the Aer Lingus flight back to Cork and continue our exploration of South West Ireland. A quick tip about air fares – try and book as far ahead as you can, even if just an extra day. When I checked Monday’s flights on the Friday afternoon they were available at £82, when I booked 12 hours later they had jumped to £213! I can go for a couple of weeks at home without seeing our Princess V39 Cecienne, but walking along the pontoon in Kinsale towards her felt like catching up with an old friend. We’d caught the…

It’s December. The days are short, commutes are in the dark and the shops are full of Christmas tat/cheer (delete as appropriate). The seas are winter choppy but down at the boatyard all is quiet. Winterised boats hibernate beneath tarpaulins, frost-guard heaters and dehumidifiers keeping the worst effects of the cold and damp at bay. Boating, for the majority of us, is on hold for the foreseeable future, our expansive open cockpits and huge sunpads ill-suited to the chilly weather and turbulent seas of another long off-season. Most of us, but not all. Because there are boats that are perfectly suited to inclement weather and rough seas. Boats that will allow you to confidently go boating all year round. Boats like these… PRICE: £162,500 BOAT: Dale Nelson 38  DATE: 1999…

Say “classic car” and 90 per cent of car enthusiasts will immediately think of a Jaguar E Type. Say “classic boat” to a powerboat fan and nine times out of 10, the Fairey Huntsman will spring to mind. It really is that iconic a vessel. The story begins back in the 1940s. With World War Two drawing to a close, aircraft manufacturer the Fairey Aviation Company Ltd was looking to diversify. Founder Charles Richard Fairey (later Sir Richard Fairey) was a keen sailor, as was managing director Chichester-Smith, who also happened to be a good friend of Olympic yachtsman Charles Currey. So it wasn’t a huge stretch of their collective imagination to take some of the techniques used in aviation at the time, such as the then-revolutionary hot-moulded vacuum process,…