Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2026 i Motor Boat & Yachting

Car companies have been doing it for years, Aquaholic columnist Nick Burnham called it a few months back and now the boat market seems to be latching on too. I’m talking about the trend for reviving iconic models of yesteryear and giving them a new lease of life in today’s market. This doesn’t need to be a slavish copy of the original but something that captures the spirit of it while taking advantage of all the latest technology and build techniques to create a thoroughly modern offering. Just look at the new generation Mini, Fiat 500, Land-Rover Defender and Renault 5 – all have been huge commercial successes, so perhaps it’s no surprise that boat companies are starting to flick through their archives in search of forgotten goldmines waiting to…

THE FINALISTS After an intensive selection process, we can exclusively reveal the finalists for the 2026 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 20 January, at a special event to mark the occasion, and online at www.mby.com In addition to the nine categories for boats and technical developments, we will also be handing out a Customer Service Award (see below).…

LOA: 56ft 8in (17.27m) BEAM: 15ft 7in (4.74m) ENGINES: twin MAN V8 1000-1200hp TOP SPEED: 33-37 knots PRICE: on application CONTACT: www.riva-yacht.com This new open sportscruiser from Riva is designed as an evolution of the 56 Rivale. As you might expect then, it comes with the same cabin configuration and engine options. However, it also takes inspiration from the 68 Diable. That sees an updated exterior, which supplements those long hull windows and raked stainless steel vents with swept guardrails and a half-height tinted wraparound screen beneath the integrated hardtop. Nestling in the shelter of that hardtop sits a long wet bar to starboard and a pair of seating areas to port – the forward one providing very natural companion seating for the skipper; and the aft one delivering a…

LOA: 48ft 3in (14.70m) BEAM: 15ft 5in (4.70m) ENGINES: Twin IPS-700 or 800s/D8 600hp shaftdrives TOP SPEED: 31 knots PRICE: from €950,000 ex VAT CONTACT: Historic Italian yard, Apreamare, is famous for its modern interpretation of the classical Sorrentine fishing boat, so it’s no surprise to see the new flagship of the Gozzo line retracing that well-trodden path. As you would expect, the focal point of the 48 Cabin is the deckhouse. It comes with a dinette that makes good use of a reversible helm seat to encompass the entire starboard side. And an equally long port galley frees up the space for three cabins and two bathrooms down below. There’s flexibility here, though. You can opt for the two-cabin version instead, in which case the second midships twin is…

DJI OSMO ACTION 5 PRO This powerful action camera from specialist brand DJI is designed to capture top-quality video footage and hi-res stills in some really challenging environments. The tough, waterproof body means you can dive to 20m without additional accessories. It also comes with an integrated water pressure gauge so you can check real-time depth and duration while diving. Front and rear OLED touchscreens enable you to see (and adjust) what you’re filming, and while it provides up to four hours of continuous use on a single battery, the quick charge facility means just 15 minutes of charging buys you two hours of filming. Even as a base model, it makes lots of sense but there are plenty of pursuit specific accessories to help you customise it to suit…

You don’t expect a trawler-style boat to look especially pretty but this one really is. It may be the same length as the Swift Trawler 35 it replaces (37ft 0in) but thanks to a longer, lower superstructure, a taller foredeck and a one-piece reverse screen, it looks better balanced. Factor in some generous glazing, both in the hull and the wheelhouse, and you have one of the best looking trawler yachts below 50ft. And if the styling hits the mark, so does the price. It starts from just €299,000 for the Sedan model or €315,000 for this flybridge version, which is less than the boat it replaces. In short, as we approach the new ST37 at its berth in Barcelona for our highly anticipated sea trial, it’s off to a…

Very few design concepts have been at once so different and so successful as that of Spanish builder, De Antonio. Its distinct way of doing things involves a stepped hull with a plumb bow and vertical hull sides for maximum internal volume. That’s paired with a walkaround deck layout and a set of outboard engines hidden discreetly from view beneath an extended sun pad that pushes way beyond the transom at the aft end. In creating additional space for a full-beam swim platform, what De Antonio is attempting to do with this approach is combine the poke, refinement and maintenance simplicity of outboard engines with the space and style of an inboard diesel boat. And by freeing up plenty of room beneath the deck, as well as on top of…

This limited-edition replica of the 1957 Starcraft Ski Champ is being built in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of modern America. Being a faithful replica, rather than a modern pastiche, it even includes the original boat’s two little aft fins that were inspired by those on the 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air. Its 16ft length and 7ft beam mean there is just enough space for a family of four, while it’s easy-planing aluminium hull only needs a 25hp outboard engine to hit 30 knots. With its vintage Mercury branding and colour-matched finish, this looks almost as cool as the boat. It’s also astonishingly good value; the whole package starts at a barely believable $20,499. This incudes the gorgeous one-piece screen, an external mahogany rail, a beautiful retro helm…

When my boat is in the water, I always keep an eye on the short and long-term weather forecasts. After all, as a committed motor boat enthusiast, I want to get out at every possible opportunity. The normal state of things along the Blekinge coast in southeastern Sweden can sometimes make that difficult but it often settles in the evenings when the breeze dies down – and Karlskrona’s archipelago also provides a good protective barrier against the waves of the Baltic Sea. Of course, if my wife, Eva, and I are planning an overnight adventure, we tend to take our Grandezza 40 Fly. But for fast and spontaneous outings when the weather allows, our Iron 827 Coupé is perfect. WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY In early August, when conditions were relatively calm,…

Despite the occasional financial buffeting, there is no doubt that Fairline belongs in the highest echelons of production boat building. Based in Oundle with a history that goes back almost 60 years, it introduced the Squadron range in 1991 with the launch of the Squadron 62 – the predecessor of this 2010 Squadron 65. INTERIOR The stand-out feature of this boat is the amount of natural light that floods the interior. Huge windows are par for the course these days, but this boat was launched back in 2009. The forward cabin is a prime example, with a run of glazing that stretches the full length of the ceiling. The full beam owner’s cabin is even better with big hull windows allowing a view out from the king-sized bed. Only cabin…

As we have seen, it’s entirely possible to buy a seriously big league boat from a big league builder for under a million pounds. But as I shall now demonstrate, it’s also possible to buy some serious kit from one of the most prestigious builders on the planet for under a quarter of a million pounds! Welcome to the frankly epic Sunseeker Predator 56. 150 of these were sold between 1999 and 2004, and it’s not hard to see why. INTERIOR Although dating from this century, at 2001 this boat only just sneaks in. Nowhere is this clearer than inside, where it’s a feast of turn-of-the-century Sunseeker, complete with lashings of beautifully capped high-gloss cherry wood and acres of cream leather. Is this a bad thing? Hell no, it looks…

We all like to moan about the weather in the UK but spare a thought for the British Antarctic Survey team, who regularly brave temperatures of -20C and winds of up to 150 knots. Despite this, the craft they use for moving through the ice floes are not hefty steel-hulled pilothouse boats but relatively modest open RIBs with a pair of petrol outboards. On p44 Ollie Tucker, whose role as Boating Officer involves keeping boating operations safe and effective, explains why that’s the case and gives a fascinating insight into a world of ever-changing ice conditions, remarkable animal encounters and one of the toughest boating environments on the planet. The photos alone, all of which were taken by Ollie and his BAS colleagues, will take your breath away. SEE MORE…

Last time I bought a new car, I had it in my mind that what I wanted was a big comfortable cruiser, since I was doing a lot of airport runs, and with my YouTube channel having recently taken off in a fairly big way, I decided to treat myself to something special – a proper luxury car. In the past I’d run an Audi A3 T-Sport which was followed by a T-Sport quattro, and then two Audi A4 cabriolets. I loved those cars, in particular for the interior ambience, which felt a step up from the BMW or Volvo equivalents, so at the top of my list was an Audi A8, the flagship of the range. I went all the way to London to test-drive and hopefully buy an…

LOA: 55ft 4in (16.87m) BEAM: 16ft 6in (5.04m) ENGINES: Twin Volvo Penta IPS 800-950 TOP SPEED: 33-37 knots PRICE: €1.89M ex VAT CONTACT: www.invictusyacht.com Christian Grande’s designs have earned Invictus a reputation for being at the cutting edge of boat building. Take this new flagship of the fleet, the TT550. The jutting reverse bow is bang on trend. So is the sweeping carbon-fibre hardtop; and the way the long hull window is mirrored by an equally long bulwark cutaway is a very neat solution. The detailing looks just as refined and boutiquey as you’d imagine, but it’s the day spaces that really shine here. With a large aftfacing dinette, a central sunbed with reversible backrest, an open transom, a pair of drop-down terraces and a submersible stern platform, the aft…

LOA: 64ft 7in (19.68m) BEAM:16ft 6in (5.04m) ENGINES 2 x 900–1000hp Volvo Penta or 1,200hp MAN TOP SPEED: 31 knots PRICE: From €2.16m ex tax CONTACT:www.galeon.yachts The debut of Galeon’s all-new 620 Fly at the Cannes show in September may have been outshone by the surprise launch of its curious new 430 Explorer sibling, but there’s a lot to like about this feature-packed flybridge. For starters it’s the first boat of this size to offer three fold-down platforms, including one with direct access from the full-beam owner’s cabin. The two lower platforms fold down flush with the bathing platform to create a whopping beach terrace that extends all the way forward on the port side to a watertight door leading into the amidships owner’s cabin. This means you can stumble…

Aluminium seems to have been gaining traction in the UK of late and it’s thoroughly deserved. It’s tough, lightweight and highly effective when it comes to absorbing the mild impacts novice boating tends to involve. It’s also corrosion-resistant, simple to fix and fully recyclable at end of life. And if you enjoy a rugged SUV aesthetic, you might even argue that its unaffected honesty puts stylistic appeal firmly in its wheelhouse too. Small wonder then that in recent years, we’ve seen established players like XO, Buster and Highfield joined by a range of new models from the likes of Arksen, Archipelago, Aquaspirit and Viggo. With their famous appetite for effectiveness over glitz, it is of course the Nordic countries that have made most of the running in this sector –…

I grew up in an old fisherman’s cottage near Torquay harbour surrounded by boats. As soon as we were old enough, my brother and I worked the pedalos on Babbacombe beach and once we hit our teenage years, our summers were spent as deckhands and later skippers on the local pleasure boats, running day trips to the River Dart and evening cruises to see the Torbay Illuminations. Back then, all it took to skipper a pleasure boat was a basic understanding of navigation and a few pencil lines on a chart for the harbour master to hand you a boatman’s licence, allowing you to carry passengers within five miles offshore! ZERO TO HERO Decades later, in 2015, those fond early memories inspired me to start studying for my RYA tickets. As…

Aboat that berths itself has long been the dream of everyone from nervous owners to enthusiastic sales people, but despite repeated efforts from some of the industry’s biggest players, bringing a viable system to market has proved frustratingly elusive. Now at last, Simrad claims to have cracked it with its new AutoCaptain Autonomous Boating System. If that sounds like a mouthful, using it is disarmingly simple. All you do is switch on the dedicated app on your Simrad MFD, select which berth you’d like to dock in, press the Autodocking button and sit back while it manoeuvres you gently into place. If that’s not enough, it can also leave a berth (Undocking) and manoeuvre you out of a tight spot such as a lock entrance or fuel berth queue (Move…

Understanding buoyage and how to use it is crucial for safe navigation. Most countries use an inland and coastal system. Inland is usually from above the first sea lock. Coastal systems are further split into IALA A and B. The main difference is the colour of the marks as the shapes remain the same. Area B covers the Americas, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines. In this area the port side of inbound channels is marked by green buoys, which are pillar-shaped, and show a green light (if lit). The starboard side is marked by cone-shaped red buoys and a red light. Area A covers pretty much the rest of the world, including Europe, Australia and New Zealand. In this case the port side of inbound channels has red pillar…

You have to wonder how far into the future Sunseeker founder, Robert Braithwaite, was looking when in 1969, he launched what has arguably become the best known brand in boating. The Poole-based firm asserts that in the early 1970s, there were simply no big builders of boats for the UK sports and leisure markets. We’re not sure Princess, Fairline and Fletcher would agree, but Braithwaite set out to fill the gap. While its models started off small, Sunseeker’s boats grew larger and more aggressive as performance and style became key. Creature comforts below decks sometimes played second fiddle to speed but that’s not quite the full story, because in the mid 1970s, the Sunseeker 36 Daycab was launched offering four berths, a galley and a toilet. It helped kickstart the…

Designed by Tony Castro, built by Tarquin and launched in 2007, the Trader 64 leans towards the explorer yacht end of the market. Designed for relaxed long-range liveaboard cruising rather than fast blasts from point to point, it’s backed up by a Category A RCD rating for offshore use. INTERIOR Any mid-60ft boat is going to have generously proportioned internal spaces, but throw in an aft-cabin layout that takes the accommodation right back to the transom and you have something truly palatial. Not surprisingly, the owner’s cabin takes full advantage of those square aft quarters to deliver an exceptionally large and private sleeping space. The ensuite heads is forward, putting a double bulkhead between its lucky occupants and the machinery space. And of course it is completely separated from the…

There’s a classic line in Cannonball Run II when Sheik Abdul Ben Falafel, a wealthy Arabian potentate who failed to win the first race, is ordered back to the USA by his father, the king, to make sure he wins this time. His plea of “But pop, there is no Cannonball Run this year,” is met by a shrug and the utterance, “So? Buy one!” Imagine if you could just buy something you wanted into existence. Imagine, for example, that you’ve enjoyed a Nelson 32 so much that you decide to go for a 45. And after a few years of that, you decide you want a much larger one, but it simply doesn’t exist. So? Buy one! And that is exactly how this beautiful Nelson motor yacht came into…

1 NEW SUNSEEKER OCEAN 74 Sunseeker is expanding its Ocean range of high-volume cruisers with two new smaller models. Called the Ocean 74 and Ocean 74 Enclosed, they share the same hull and deck mouldings but one has a traditional flybridge up top, while the other has a fully enclosed helm station and skylounge. As with the current Oceans 90 and 82, the new 74 features an unusually tall, wide and upright bow to maximise interior volume, but it’s what’s going on at the stern that is likely to cause the most excitement. For the first time Sunseeker has introduced a pair of drop-down balconies on either side of the cockpit to create an expansive beach club area. This is spread across two different levels with sociable corner seating and…

MEDITERRANEVM BAR & RESTAURANT BRAY MARINA Thanks to MBY reader Jill Harris, who first alerted us to the Mediterranevm restaurant at Bray Marina. Despite having visited the on-site brokerage on several occasions in the past I was blissfully unaware of the restaurant’s existence, which I put down to its more or less hidden location behind the office. But by happy coincidence I was scheduled to visit the marina again soon after Jill contacted us, so having no excuses, I duly booked myself a table for lunch. Walking around to the quay which borders the restaurant, my first impression was that I’d taken a wrong turn and ended up in Milton Keynes. For before me was a shimmering glass modernist box that looked for all the world as if it would…

LOA: 80ft 3in (24.47m) BEAM: 19ft 5in (5.91m) ENGINES: 2 x MAN V12 1550 - 1800hp TOP SPEED: 27–31 knots PRICE: On application CONTACT: www.ferretti-yachts.com The Ferretti Group launched so many new boats at this year’s Cannes (nine, to be precise) that the new 800 flybridge almost slipped through our net. We’re glad it didn’t though because there’s a lot to like about this new model, which completes a range renewal process started back in 2018. The exterior design is the work of naval architect Filippo Salvetti, adding a slightly lighter and more sophisticated edge to Ferretti’s usual stately looks. Larger hull windows, cut-out bulwarks, glossy black stanchions, glazed flybridge supports and a glass cockpit transom all help with this. Two different sizes of hydraulic platform allow it to sneak…

BOAT GOUT I was amused by Scilly Season part 6 in the October issue, where Simon Ellis’s toilet outlet pipe was blocked again. The eventual diagnosis was a build-up of urate crystals. This build-up is exactly the same condition which causes gout in humans! Could this be the first recorded case of ‘boat gout?’ Phil McGahey It’s certainly not the first case of it happening but it may well be the first time it’s been called boat gout so congratulations on coining the term. Perhaps you should suggest it as a new entry to the publishers of the Oxford English Dictionary; it makes a lot more sense than “Six-seven”.Hugo ONE MAN AND HIS DOG I am very much enjoying your Boat Nuts podcast and wondered if you might be able…

Few places on Earth rival the stillness of Antarctica. At times the air is so still and the sea so flat it becomes a perfect mirror, broken only by the outline of mountains and glaciers that have stood watch for millennia. The silence is absolute, the sense of timelessness near-overpowering. But this is also the wildest place on the planet. Winds at the Pole can roar past 150 knots, and even on the coast we suffer whiteouts – a disorienting blur of wind and snow, like life inside a ping-pong ball. The continent’s isolation makes it harsher still: thousands of miles from the nearest land, trapped by some of the world’s most ferocious seas. Each winter, barely a thousand people remain. Rescue, should you need it, might take weeks. For…

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GARMIN ONBOARD One of the greatest risks to boaters is going overboard – either in rough waters where retrieval is difficult, or worse still, falling off without being detected, especially if the engine carries on running. That’s where Garmin’s new OnBoard system comes in. It’s basically an ‘intelligent’ MOB detection system combined with a wireless kill cord that enables you and your crew to move around your boat with safety and confidence. It uses a set of wireless, non-intrusive tags so there’s no need for a physical tether. And the fact that you can integrate it with your chartplotter enables immediate (and automatic) recording of the MOB waypoint, along with audible alarms to alert the skipper to the issue. The tags can be worn on a stylish, smartwatch-style wristband, on…

Owning a boat that is nearly 20 years old does involve quite a lot of maintenance, and my Mitchell 28, Let’s Go, has needed almost constant attention as she’s grown older. She’s been a great sea boat and has taken me many, many miles in safety but as I’ve aged, I‘ve found some of the maintenance tasks and replacements more difficult. For over a year then, I had been keeping an eye out for a newer, less demanding replacement. THE MITCHELL 28 Three things coincided to make me change boats. One of the windows in the forward cabin had started to leak. Having read some of the articles about restoring windows, I was worried that this was a job beyond my capabilities. I got a quote from various marine windows…

The term millionaire is an interesting one, still conjuring up as it does images of impossible wealth. A mansion in the country, peacocks on the lawn, lighting cigars with £10 notes in the back of a chauffeur driven Rolls-Royce and, of course, a huge motor yacht. But the truth is that these days, a million barely buys you a new 40-footer, let alone the rest of the lifestyle to go with it – hardly the stuff of millionaire dreams. Thankfully, as ever, solace lies in the used boat market where the original millionaire lifestyle is still possible if you have a healthy six figures to plough into a boat. Here are four fantastic examples for Jeeves to point the Roller at. PRICE: £650,000 BOAT: Fairline Squadron 65  DATE: 2010 LYING:…

Princess has had a variety of model ranges over the years, all with their own names and identities. The F-class flybridges, V-class sportscruisers, S-class sports yachts and X-class tri-deck models all have their place. But the M-class is the daddy, because M stands for motor yacht and is reserved for the superyacht range. The largest ever was the Princess 40M, a 40-metre leviathan, but at the other end of the scale, the original 21M still cuts a dash. At just under 70ft, it falls below the 24-metre industry classification for superyachts but this boat still has the look and feel of the big league without the crippling cost that usually goes with it. INTERIOR The high-gloss cherry wood may be of its era, but it still looks spectacular, particularly in…