Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2025 i Motor Boat & Yachting

Somewhat scarily this is the 20th anniversary of the issue I first oversaw as editor of Motor Boat & Yachting. In some respects it feels like a lifetime ago, in others about 20 minutes. Perhaps the most telling thing is how little the boats have changed since then. Back then our cover star was the Beneteau Antares 12, a stylish 41ft flybridge cruiser with two cabins, two heads and a pair of Volvo D6 engines. To be honest, it wouldn’t look out of place if it was launched at a boat show tomorrow. Its sister boat, the Flyer 12, even had a pair of the then brand-new IPS pod drives fitted. In short, other than more sophisticated systems and evolving design tastes, not a lot has changed. Hull shapes are…

How are you getting the antfouling off?” was the question inevitably asked when discussing the fact that, at almost 20 years old, it was time to remove the antifoul from Smuggler’s Blues 2 and start again. “The usual way,” I replied. “I’m spraying it with money.” Which translated, of course, to the fact that I was paying someone else to do it. Specifically Dave Bullock from Coast Marine Services, to whom all of the winter work outside of Volvo Penta servicing and repairs is entrusted. For two solid days Dave and his accomplice set to with the scrapers, removing two decades of paint. That takes some thinking about. Imagine the size and weight of a five-litre tin of antifouling, that’s roughly what goes on the boat every winter. Now stack…

LOA: 72ft 2in (22.0m) BEAM: 18ft 7in (5.66m) ENGINES: Twin D13 IPS-1050s or IPS-1350s TOP SPEED: 27 knots PRICE: €3.69M ex VAT CONTACT: www.pardoyachts.com Introduced as a concept in the summer of 2024 and now revealed for the first time in full, this new flagship of the Pardo Yachts Endurance line is designed to be a proper cruising machine. But if the sheltered internal saloon appears to encompass a slightly greater proportion of the main deck length than the GT75 we tested last year, you wouldn’t know it from the flexibility at the bow and stern. At the back end, you can tweak the layout with a ‘suspended’ sunbed or an open-air cockpit dining area. Either way, a pair of large fold-down bulwarks expands the usable party space to around…

LOA: 44ft 4in (13.54m) BEAM: 13ft 1in (3.99m) ENGINES: twin IPS-500s or IPS-650s TOP SPEED: 39 knots PRICE: POA CONTACT: www.levelyachts.com When a boat builder introduces a ‘long weekender for Mediterranean adventure’, you don’t expect many surprises. The plumb bow, the walkaround decks, the aft sun pad, the central dinette, the transverse wet bar, the bow’s island sunbed, the full-beam T-top and a pair of drop-down bulwarks – all are present and correct. But well-trodden though the formula has become, this first model from new Spanish brand, Level Yachts, looks particularly well done. While the aft dinette is big enough for ten, the forepeak’s facing settees also enable you to seat five around the table in the bow lounge. Those big terraces are supplemented with a hydraulic aft platform and…

The Göta Kanal stretches from Sweden’s Baltic Sea to the inlets and islands of its glorious west coast. Winding through the country’s idyllic, pastoral interior, a series of 58 locks dot the 120-mile canal, at times lifting or lowering boats up to ten metres at a time in a single metallic passage. Though it is an engineering point of pride for Sweden, it has also earned the less appealing nickname of the ‘divorce ditch’ (skilsmässodiket), in large part due to the troubles many couples experience while navigating its constricted channels and locks. The average boater can expect to traverse this winding blue serpent in six to eight days during high season. Jon Kandell, whose upcoming summer voyage will start in Stockholm, route through the Göta Kanal, and end in the…

Either I’m getting older or Princess’s model replacement cycles are getting shorter because it only seems like a few years ago that we were testing the then brand-new Princess 55. At the time of our test in August 2018 we declared it to be the new class leader, citing its ‘supreme competence in every area’, its ‘stylish and brilliantly proportioned interior’ and a hull that ‘has no right to be as agile and engaging as it is’. Seven years on and those words still ring true today and yet here is a brand new F58 offering a similar three-cabin, two-bathroom formula. So why all that effort and expense to update what was still a very strong package? The answer, as always, is ever increasing customer expectations and the ferocious competition…

The search for a greener alternative to marine diesel is about to take a big step forward thanks to a bold new initiative from Sanlorenzo Yachts and MAN Engines. While other players are still fretting over how to cut their carbon footprint, two of the biggest players in the industry are pressing ahead with plans to build the world’s first methanol-powered luxury yacht. Called the 50 X-Space, the new project will be powered by a pair of specially adapted bi-fuel MAN V12 engines. Producing 1,430hp each, they will give the 50m superyacht much the same range and performance as a conventional diesel-powered craft but with up to 70% fewer emissions. The advantages of methanol over most other alternative forms of ‘green’ fuel largely come down to logistics. Unlike hydrogen, which…

Passage planning is a key part of any boater’s skillset but there’s more to it than just entering some waypoints in a chartplotter. Both the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) have made it very clear that every boater should use ‘APEM’. It’s not the catchiest of acronyms but it stands for Appraise, Plan, Execute, Monitor and even as leisure boaters we should follow it every time we put to sea. That might seem like overkill for a quick potter over to a nearby bay for lunch but if you do have an accident and can’t demonstrate that you’ve adhered to it, you might end up on the wrong end of the law. Every trip you make, even to a local anchorage, needs the same…

COCKWELLS TITIAN TENDER COOL RATING MODERN MASTERPIECE It is perhaps apt that the person who commissioned the Titian Tender from Cockwells in Falmouth was an artist, because this really is three-dimensional art. Cockwells regularly builds bespoke one-off commissions, but even by its standards, this one was pretty special. The 10.5m boat, designed by Redman Whitely Dixon with an interior by Callum Bespoke, evokes 60s Riva runabouts but with a modern twist; where the Riva is all about the curves, the Cockwells has sharp, clean contemporary lines. Built from cedar and teak, the detailing is exquisite. The teak foredeck is laid out herringbone style, and the caulking between the planks is copper. In fact, that’s a theme that follows through to the interior. Unashamedly a dayboat, the interior is little more…

This seems like a lovely scene, doesn’t it? A Greenline 45 Fly, anchored in a remote bay in silent, fume-free serenity. The hotel loads are running on a bank of lithium-polymer batteries and the owner is tickled pink that he has 48 hours of playtime before he needs to run his diesel engines. If you look closely, you can see even the fish are getting in on the act, gathering in their droves to offer heartfelt thanks for his investment in Greenline’s sixth-generation hybrid system. But how does it actually work in practice? How does it stand up to scrutiny when you jump on board and start using the hotel loads like a real boater – charging batteries, running laptops, drinking tea and arguing over the ambient temperature? To find…

BANKES ARMS STUDLAND Despite a voluntary no-anchoring zone occupying most of its sheltered southern side, Studland Bay remains an immensely popular spot to drop the hook or pick up one of its many new eco-friendly visitors’ mooring buoys. For those with a dinghy, a trip ashore, followed by a trek up the steep, steep hill leading to the village is something of a boater’s rite of passage. But not everybody makes it to the top, for partway up lies the inviting, open-all-day Bankes Arms. This busy pub, with its sizeable indoor seating area, outside terrace and an extensive garden across the road affording fabulous views of the bay, offers a wide range of food, including vegan options and a children’s menu – and by the look of the board-rubber marks…

LOA: 26ft 3in (7.99m) BEAM: 9ft 10in (2.99m) ENGINES: Single/twin outboards from 300 to 400hp TOP SPEED: 42-50 knots PRICE: from €164,000 ex VAT CONTACT: www.deantonioyachts.com Though it might look like a revamp of the old 28, this new entry point to the De Antonio fleet is an entirely new boat. For a start, it features a twin-stepped hull and a larger beam, with a finer entry and a slightly flatter planing surface. The idea behind that is to bring extra efficiency, uprated softness and improved controllability in terms of trim – which is handy, given the tendency of these boats to run very flat. As you would expect of De Antonio, the outboard engines are hidden beneath a raised sunbed and framed at the aft end with a full-beam…

LOA: 42ft 10in (13.07m) BEAM:12ft 1in (3.70m) ENGINES: 2 x 440hp Volvo D6 or 2-3 400-600hp Mercury outboards TOP SPEED: 40-70 knots PRICE: From €850,000 ex tax CONTACT: www.maxim.yachts Spanish yard Maxim Yachts has been quietly elbowing its way into the market for open walkaround weekenders for a little while now, but we only caught up with it at the Düsseldorf boat show in January, where it was exhibiting one of its latest 43ft models. Finished in a very on-trend matt grey, its vertical bow, swooping hardtop, and deeply rebated topsides looked every inch the sharply dressed alternative to a Fjord. There’s more to it than just a pretty face, though. A vacuum-infused twin-step hull with a wide range of engine options spanning everything from a pair of 440hp Volvo…

When the Hanse Group acquired Norwegian builder, Fjord Yachts, back in 2007, it immediately set about reinventing the brand’s fleet – and it did so not with tweaks or accents or opaque puffs of marketing optimism, but with a new form of boat that proved so successful, it would go on to carve out a whole new sector. That boat was the Fjord 40 Open – a pared-back, plumb-bowed, Mediterranean-style walkaround dayboat. It won the title of European Powerboat of the Year in 2008 and has since been creatively reinterpreted by all manner of boating brands. But move on 17 years and it’s interesting to see that Fjord is replacing the entry point to its fleet, the 38 XL, with a new model, the 39 XL, that subtly reinterprets what…

Paddleboards have rapidly become one of the most popular ‘toys’ on board boats of all sizes, not just for those on board, but for everyone else enjoying a peaceful anchorage (mentioning no jetskis). And if you want the coolest paddleboard in the anchorage and you have the space, then you need to check out these absolutely stunning boards from Beau Lake. The 11ft 6in Muskoka, for example, has a vintage-inspired wood veneer, reminiscent of Northern Ontario’s classic runabouts that is protected by an ultra-glossy finish that enhances its shine and shields the wood from harmful UV exposure. Available in cream, black or navy, its wide deck, crafted from a unique layup of FSC-certified maple and holly wood, provides stability, while the streamlined length and sharp nose enable smooth navigation through…

Not another new Windy!” You may recall me starting my last article that way and I’m starting this one with exactly the same words. Yes, I know I sang the praises of my ‘old’ Windy 34 Alizé and after a year of ownership I would continue to do so. But it’s up for sale and I have handed another deposit to Merveille Nautique (the Windy agent for France) for the completely new SR40. Unlike Windy’s classical sportscruisers, it’s a high-performance walkaround sportsboat and that’s precisely the reason for the change! WALKAROUND ISSUES One of the great features of Windy’s smaller boats is that the size of the cockpit seems disproportionately large – and that’s partly down to the fact that the cockpit extends right to the edge of the boat.…

Like a number of boat builders, Colvic has a slightly chequered history. But unlike the others, and perhaps oddly so, given that Colvic was once a major force in British boat building, its heritage is quite difficult to chart, with only limited reference material available. What we do know, however, is that the firm began its operations in 1964 in the Blackwater estuary under the guidance of founders, Colin Burns and Victor Pascoe. Named Ardleigh Laminated Plastics, Col and Vic would later come up with a much snappier portmanteau which manifested itself both as Colvic Craft and, in collaboration with Glasgow-based GL Watson & Co, as Colvic Watson. Colvic began by producing GRP hulls that DIY enthusiasts could fit out, before going on to manufacture a range of vessels, from…

1 NEW LUXURY POWERCAT French catamaran specialist Fountaine Pajot and luxury motoryacht builder Couach are joining forces to launch a new range of premium powercats. Called Veya, they will combine the powercat design and engineering expertise of Fountaine Pajot with the high end fit and finish of Couach. The first model in the new range, due to launch this summer, will be the Veya 53. Designed by revered French cat-specialist Berret-Racoupeau, the new model strikes a nice balance between style and volume thanks to a generous beam of 26ft 3in combined with a relatively sleek superstructure featuring explorer-style forward-raked windows and a hull-coloured flybridge hard top. Near vertical bows and elongated hull windows that follow the subtle flare in the topside moulding adds an air of sophistication to the design. The…

LOA: 65ft 4in (19.92m) BEAM: 17ft 1in (5.2m) ENGINES: 2 x Volvo Penta IPS950 TOP SPEED: 31 knots PRICE: From €3.7m ex tax CONTACT: www.steeleryachts.com Don’t be fooled by the name. The Steeler B62 may sound like a slow steel displacement cruiser but it’s actually an all-aluminium craft with a surprising turn of speed and one of the most exciting interiors we’ve seen on any boat. And don’t just take our word for it. The video tour we shot of it has had more views in the last few weeks than most boats get in a year! That’s because it’s packed full of new ideas that few other yards would dare to try, including a roof that rises on four electric rams, two separate galleys and a second helm station perched…

LOA: 36ft 8in (11.20m) BEAM: 10ft 0in (3.00m) ENGINES: Twin/quad outboards from 800 to 1,200hp TOP SPEED: 50 knots PRICE: from $850,000 ex VAT CONTACT: www.invincibleboats.com Making its debut at the 2025 Miami International Boat Show, Invincible’s new 36ft catamaran looks set to deliver more of the stuff we have come to expect. An 11ft 7in beam, a user-friendly single-level deck and an expanded aft cockpit are designed to provide improved fishing practicality. There’s a large side door for easier fish landing, plus optional rod storage in the forward compartments and plenty of specialist options for the serious angler. Assuming you don’t take advantage of the new boat’s quad-rig engine potential, the massive 2,159-litre fuel tank will apparently bring a usable range approaching 600 miles; and the Morrelli & Melvin…

TROPHY TALES I see from your news pages that the Harmsworth Trophy, the ‘Blue Riband’ of powerboating, is to be revived – for electric boats. Having researched and published a book about it, I thought you might be interested in my own brush with it. In 1976 I, or rather my friend Jack Leslau, a local goldsmith, was entrusted with repairing some damage to the famous bronze trophy. The damage dated back to 1915 when SS Enchantress, the Royal Motor Yacht Club’s floating clubhouse, had been bombed by a Zeppelin and caught fire. The RMYC flag officer, realising the trophy was still on board, dashed along the smouldering deck to rescue it. Picking up the trophy on its badly burnt wooden base, he staggered back to safety – only to…

Was I having a mid-life crisis or did I simply need a break? It doesn’t really matter what you call it but having worked for 30-plus years, I needed some time out – a sabbatical of sorts. But what to do? Well, being a boater, the obvious answer was to blast off into the sunset and for once in my life not have to worry about finding a weather window to return within the usual two-week holiday period. My wife, Pamela, and I have kept a boat at Cobbs Quay in Poole for the past 20 years, starting with a Fairline Sprint 21 before progressing to a Targa 34 and then our current boat, a 2002 Fairline Targa 40 called Easily Distracted. We love the local waters around Poole and…

Different and uncompromising. Not qualities that you would necessarily associate with relaxing days out on the water, yet these are precisely the words which Wally Yachts has chosen to sum up its latest model: the wallywhy100 (and yes, that is how they like to spell it). It’s a brave call but then so is everything Wally does – you don’t become one of the most admired brands in yachting by simply following the herd. Then again, being different doesn’t necessarily mean being better, any more than being uncompromising does. But before we put the wallywhy100 through its paces to decide whether it is good-different, bad-different or merely indifferent, a word or two about its place in the Wally firmament. FORM AND FUNCTION The 100 is the third and smallest model…

Greyfin is a 2015 Antares 8. She has a 200hp Nanni inboard diesel engine with a simple shaftdrive and I don’t hold back on maintenance. Over the winter layup, I not only had the usual full winterisation service done but I also replaced the drive shaft, cutlass bearing and stern gland due to signs of wear. Even so, in last month’s magazine, I described how what appeared to be a minor inconvenience rapidly came to a head with full engine failure, resulting in a rescue by the RNLI. Keen to uncover the cause of the breakdown, I tasked my local boatyard with rooting out the problem. POTENTIAL ISSUES The boatyard went through the same basic checks as I had done, and with all the obvious (and cheap) candidates eliminated, they turned…

I visited a local classic car show recently, fully expecting a warm nostalgia-hit brim full of the kind of Austin A35s and Morris Minors that my grandparents trundled about in. Instead what I got was an ice cold reality check. Most of the cars at the show weren’t grandparent era. They weren’t even the Hillman Hunter and Ford Cortina era of my parents’ golden age of motoring. No, laid bare before me in a perfect mortality check were the Escort XR3s and Astra GTEs of my youth. They are old now, and so, it seems, am I! I’ve time travelled into the future – forget Marty McFly, the future date he leapt forward to is now a decade in the past. But it does beg the question, what is a…