Enata Marine says that the Foiler, which can carry a crew of 8 (7 plus the driver), rises 1.5m onto its foils at speeds above 18 knots and is capable of gliding across wave heights of up to 2m.
The company claims that the boat is extremely quiet in flight as the waves pass below the hull with its slim foils offering low penetration, and that is it so stable that passengers can move easily around whilst the boat is foiling.
It also says that by reducing wave impact, the system ‘virtually eliminates sea sickness’ as well as leaving a third of the normal wake disturbance of a boat of this size and speed. Fuel consumption is also claimed to be reduced by 20%.
Powering the vessel is a sophisticated diesel-electric hybrid propulsion system. Two BMW 320hp diesel engines drive electrical generators that are linked to twin electric propellor ‘torpedos’ situated on the aft foils.
Top speed is 40 knots with a 30 knot cruising speed giving a range of 130 nautical miles from its 300 litre fuel tank. Battery back up means that the electric part of the hybrid system can run independently of the diesel engines for short periods, giving silent cruising for 10 minutes at 10 knots, allowing it to approach a dock or pass wildlife without disturbance.
On board, the deck layout is an open plan bow rider configuration, with two forward facing comfortable looking arm chairs in the bow section. Further aft, a large seating pad to port curls around a central bolster whilst the back end of the cockpit is left completely open for sunbathing or water sports.
The foils can be retracted, reducing draught to just 0.6m (2ft) and allowing the boat to be used as a superyacht tender and stored on board of very large yachts.
Broom, one of Britain's oldest boat manufacturers, won't build any more new boats
Broom has announced plans to discontinue boat building in order to focus on the leisure side of its business.
The Norfolk based boat yard blames fast changing market conditions, low customer demand, overseas competition and rising costs for its decision to withdraw from boat building.
Instead the company will concentrate on developing its boat hire business as well as the marina and service operation it runs in Brundall on the Southern Broads.
Broom, which has a heritage stretching back to1898, has been a mainstay of the British boat building for well over 50 years. Its range of popular 30-50ft aft cabin boats are a common sight on inland waterways and coastal marinas all over northern Europe. Their reputation as comfortable, sea-kindly, solidly built boats ensures they are still sought after in the secondhand market. However, the fast changing pace of boat design and the death of its charismatic former
family owner Martin Broom in 2013 left the yard struggling to compete with its more modern series production rivals.
Broom 30
Recent attempts to modernise the range and return to its family boating roots with a new range of 30-35ft Coupes attracted plenty of praise but ultimately not enough sales to sustain the boat building side of the business. Broom has confirmed that a number of jobs will be lost.
The definitive guide on how to tie up your boat correctly
A wander around any marina will reveal a hundred different variations of how to tie up a boat and to be fair there is no universal one-size-fits-all answer.
However, while many of the solutions on show are perfectly valid, it’s clear that there are also plenty of boat owners with very little understanding of what the lines are supposed to do and in some cases it’s a minor miracle that the boat’s still there when the owners return.
For an alongside berth in a non-tidal marina, or one with floating pontoons, you need a minimum of four lines. The bow line should lead forward from the bow cleat to a cleat on the pontoon a short way in front of the boat.
The stern line should lead aft from a stern cleat to a pontoon cleat a little way behind the boat. These bow and stern lines are to keep the boat alongside.
Then comes a pair of springs, whose purpose is to stop the vessel surging fore and aft in the elements.
The correct terminology for spring lines always causes some debate. As far as I am concerned a line which stops the boat from moving backwards is a stern or aft spring and usually runs forward from the boat’s stern or mid cleat to a pontoon cleat several metres ahead of it.
One that stops forward movement is a bow or fore spring and usually runs from a bow or mid cleat to a pontoon cleat several metres astern of it.
I always like the bow and stern lines to have a touch of slack in them so that the boat is ‘relaxed’ on its berth and can move a little way out from the pontoon rather than being pinned against it, rubbing on its fenders all the time.
In contrast to this I like the springs reasonably taut so that any fore and aft movement is kept to a minimum. Most boats are tied up in this manner, but it is usually how the lines are set up on a cleat, know as the ‘lead’, that is incorrect.
This lead is very important as it ensures the correct loading of a cleat and minimises wear on both the rope and the boat. It also allows the load to be released easily when the time comes to leave.
A lead can be described as ‘open’ or ‘closed’ – we always want an open lead as this covers all of the above conditions.
Unlike sailors, who usually like to use a different line for each job, motor boaters are usually more pragmatic and often use one longer line to do two jobs, such as the bow line and stern spring or stern line and bow spring.
To tie up a motor boat up with two long lines, lead the stern line aft and make it off on the pontoon cleat ashore using the 0880 technique, then return it by going forward to a centre cleat aboard the boat, this makes it a spring.
Since this line will be stopping any forward movement, it is called a bow or fore spring even though it runs from a cleat positioned astern of the boat.
Repeat the same process with the bow line, i.e. lead it forward and make it off to a cleat ashore, then return it to a centre cleat on the vessel to act as a stern spring stopping any backwards movement of the vessel.
The disadvantage of using two long lines instead of four shorter ones is that any adjustments to the bow or stern line mean undoing the springs first.
The other consideration is how to start your lines. Either start the line on board with a bowline or made-up loop and then tidy up the loose ends on the pontoon, or start with the loops down on the pontoon cleats and leave the tails on the boat, which looks neater but means more hassle when you want to leave.
This is one area that the motorboat style of using two longer lines has an advantage as all the tails end up back aboard the boat in a neat, seamanlike manner.
Leaving is also relatively simple as the springs naturally have to come off first. The choice is yours, so long as they are lead and made off correctly, the boat will be nice and secure.
Can a self-polishing copolymer antifouling that gradually dissolves in the water be a better option than hard antifouling? We put International Micron 77 to the test
Lots of people seem to think that hard antifouling is the way to go for a fast planing boat because its harder finish won’t wear away too quickly. I don’t buy it, partly because it relies on the boat’s motion through the water to wear away the exhausted top layer of antifouling (so it doesn’t work as well when left in a marina) and partly because over the years, you build up countless thick layers of lumpy, part- worn antifouling.
I prefer to use a true self-polishing copolymer antifouling that gradually dissolves in the water, even when the boat is sat on its berth for weeks at a time. Not only does this ensure there is always a fresh layer of biocide-laden paint to keep the critters at bay, but it reduces the buildup of old paint and leaves a smoother, more fuel-efficient finish.
International Micron 77 is one of an increasingly small number of true copolymer antifoulings that you’re still allowed to apply yourself. The other big advantage for workshy lackeys like myself is that two thick coats should last a couple of seasons, which goes some way to offsetting the premium pricing.
That’s exactly what I applied on my Karnic 2250 around this time last year and when I pulled it out of the water at the end of October, the results spoke for themselves.
The underside of the hull was completely free of weed and barnacles and even around the waterline where it was exposed to maximum sunlight, there was only a thin layer of slime. You only have to look at the full beard of weed growing from the small unpainted section of topsides at the stern of the boat to see how bad it could have been.
Even more gratifyingly, there still seems to be plenty of life left in last year’s application, so this spring I will be free to plant up my vegetable patch with lots of baby radishes rather than grovel around under my boat with rollers and facemasks. Result!
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Having topped the range with the Navetta 73, Absolute is now looking to tail it with the 48 – its smallest Navetta yet
In this context, small is a relative term because the Navetta 48 still looks like a very substantial
bit of kit. In fact, at a smidgen under 50ft long and with the same 15ft 3in beam, it’s not a lot smaller than the Navetta 52. It even packs the same twin 435hp IPS600 pod drives.
The missing 3ft means a shorter superstructure and a more compact layout below decks, but Absolute has still managed to find room for two good double cabins and a third twin. The difference is that the master suite is now forward with an offset island berth facing across the boat with an ensuite bathroom tucked alongside it. It’s a clever solution that only works because of the unusually beamy bow sections.
The other two cabins share the mid section, in the space where the 52’s full-beam master sits, and both share a very generously proportioned guest bathroom. There is even a small crew cabin behind the engineroom.
The shorter superstructure means a slightly more compact aft galley but the broad beam and a sociable lounging/dining area forward still makes for a very usable entertaining space. The same holds true of the flybridge, the entire perimeter of which is surrounded by either seating or sunpads, bar a small break in the middle for the wet bar and staircase. The bimini shade can also be upgraded to a hardtop if required.
Absolute haven’t yet revealed the price or top speed but with less weight to haul around, it’s bound to be a bit quicker than the 52 as well as more affordable. Provided the fit and finish lives up to the standards of its bigger siblings, it should make a very appealing buy.
Part of the new generation of fast open Fairlines, the F-Line 33 is the boat every British enthusiast has been crying out for, for the past 20 years. We talk to its designer Andy Pope to find out more
The R-Class may be cleverer, the Bladerunner may be faster and the Sunseeker Red Bull will doubtless be flashier, but none of them tug at the heart strings quite like the F-Line 33.
That’s partly because the starting price of £264,600 inc VAT (for those lucky enough to pre-order their boats), is roughly half the cost of its nearest British rival, and partly because of the fond memories so many of us have of the 28-34ft Targas that dominated British boatbuilding during the ’80s, ’90s and early 2000s.
It may not be called a Targa, because Fairline wants the F-Line range to become a sub-brand in its own right, but make no mistake – this is the spiritual successor to those iconic craft of yesteryear. It is also a vital part of Fairline’s plans to grow the business.
Just as Porsche introduced a whole new generation to the sports car brand with the launch of the original Boxster, so Fairline hopes to tempt an entirely new breed of buyers into the fold with the F-Line 33.
“We started discussing the idea with a couple of dealers and the shareholders at the Düsseldorf show in 2017,”says Fairline head of design Andy Pope. “We punted a few ideas around that included a small Targa-style boat, an aggressively modern alternative and a more retro-inspired option. In the end, we managed to incorporate the best elements of all three; it’s dynamic and progressive but with core design values that will stand the test of time.”
With an estimated speed 55-60 knots, sleek design and plenty of comfort and space, the Hunton 55 could compete with…
The other big decision the team took was to steer away from the idea of an out-and-out sportsboat. The dealers asked for a boat customers could socialise on, not just tear around in at high speed. That meant a large open cockpit design with room to eat, drink, sunbathe and move about without tripping over one another.
“We wanted to avoid the corridor effect that so many smaller boats suffer from,” explains Pope. “Instead of a single narrow walkway that guides you through the cockpit, we’ve created a flexible space with socialising areas, room to walk around
both sides and a better connection with the water.”
With a beam of 11ft 6in (3.5m), it’s actually quite a wide boat for its length but thanks to a near-vertical bow and a new two-chine hull shape that lifts the stern higher out of the water at speed, it should perform and handle like a true sportsboat.
In fact, with the most powerful engine option of twin 430hp petrol V8s, Fairline is confidently predicting a top speed of at
least 45 knots. In benign conditions, it might even be knocking on the door of 50 knots and thanks to an optional sportspack with a specially tuned exhaust, it will sound every bit as good as it looks.
For those who don’t want the speed or expense of feeding a pair of petrol engines, there is also a twin 220hp diesel option giving a still-useful top speed of 33 knots and an estimated range of 200nm from its 700-litre fuel tank. Whichever engine you opt for, the handling is claimed to be safe, stable and progressive with plenty of grip and good manoeuvrability from the Volvo duo-prop sterndrives.
Low profile
The addition of Italian design consultant Alberto Mancini to the team has also brought a sharper focus on the purity of line and the detailing of the F-Line 33. The profile of the side windows, heavily sculpted flanks and rebated transom have a distinctly automotive feel to them, while fashioning the air inlets, outlets and drains into an integral part of the design avoids cluttering up the exterior with fittings. Even vital deck gear like the pop-up cleats and fender eyes are cleverly integrated into the toerails while the nav lights, horn and aerial are designed to minimise any visual disruption. Small hinged sections of the sidescreens swing open on both sides to give access to the foredeck, which can be fitted with a pulpit and guardrails for additional security. The anchor itself is mounted on a recessed spring-loaded stem that is held in place by the chain’s tension but projects forward when the chain is released to drop the hook well clear of the bow.
The central two-person helm seat is raised on a small plinth for extra visibility and there is some discussion about fitting hinged side wings that would enable a couple more guests to perch alongside. Aft of this is the cockpit galley with gas rings, griddle, sink, fridge and ice maker hidden under a thick teak cover (there is a second fridge below decks but no inside galley). This leads back to the main seating area aft comprising two opposing benches separated by a drop-down table that converts to a large double sunpad.
This whole cockpit area can be covered by an optional T-top and canopies to provide more shade and shelter when required.
The final flourish is the optional hydraulic transom that rotates round to become an extended bathing platform. If you choose not to fit the latter, the stern is left open with just a pair of safety gates enclosing the cockpit. Further options include a modified aft bench with a mini tender garage designed to fit two Seabobs and a wakeboard package with a carbon-fibre ski pole and special trim tabs to generate the perfect wake.
Sparkling form
Below decks, there is said to be standing headroom at the foot of the companionway and in the bathroom, which the designers have kept as large and light as possible by fitting a frosted glass skylight overhead.
What looks from the outside like a long, thin hull window is purely cosmetic so other than a small hatch forward and the smoked glass companionway door, the main cabin relies on a multitude of artificial light sources designed to replicate the look and ambience of natural light.
The U-shaped dinette converts into a comfortable double bed while the mid-cabin has a clever two-way door that fits flush
with the bulkhead when left open to maximise the feeling of space during the day time.
The finish of the interior is said to be classy and expensive looking, with plenty of little details to catch the eye and delight
the touch. Pope describes them as ‘jewellery’ but says “it’s still a Fairline at heart with all the usual wood and leather but also some lighter more modern materials to differentiate it from the rest of the Fairline range.”
The decks, for instance, are clad in Esthec rather than teak and the hull and furnishings will come in a bolder choice of colours than usual.
The really exciting news is that the 33 is only the start of the F-Line range. The design team is already drawing up plans
for larger and smaller models either side of it, although precise details of what and when they may arrive is still some way off.
In the meantime, we should all be thankful that the 20-year wait for a stylish sub-35ft British sportscruiser is nearly over (it’s due for launch in early 2019), and you can be sure that as soon as there’s a chance to sea trial it, we’ll be all over it like a rash. 
If the old Bladerunner 35 was good enough for David Beckham, the new Bladerunner 45 should be good enough for anyone
The chances are that unless you’re a powerboat racer, a military adviser or a raving boat nut, you may never have heard of Ice Marine or the Bladerunner boats it builds.
On the other hand, I can pretty much guarantee you will have seen one before.
Cast your mind back to the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics and you may remember the iconic television footage of David Beckham powering down the Thames at night on a fancy-looking boat with the Olympic torch burning brightly in the bow on the final leg of its journey to the stadium. That boat was a Bladerunner RIB 35, and crouching under the centre console ready to take over the helm for the very public docking manoeuvre was Ice Marine’s founder and managing director Jeremy Watts.
I have another more personal reason to remember them by, involving a very close shave with a channel marker buoy. At 70 knots. In the dark.
I was reporting on the Bradstone Challenger team’s preparation for an attempt on the Round Britain speed record in a Bladerunner 51 and was one of the few people not wearing night vision goggles at the time. They managed to restart my heart and went on to break the record with hours to spare.
It’s fair to say then that Ice Marine have a pretty impressive track record both on and off the powerboat racing circuit.
However, like many marine businesses, when the recession hit, it temporarily pulled back from the leisure market and focused on its military side of the business, most of which remains below the radar. Literally.
With an estimated speed 55-60 knots, sleek design and plenty of comfort and space, the Hunton 55 could compete with…
Now it has decided the time is right to reenter the market with a brand new boat that’s far better suited to the current breed of cash-rich, time-poor consumer than its previous generation of edgy, go-faster craft.
Powered by standard triple 370hp Volvo D6 engines on Volvo’s own low-drag duo-prop drives, the new BR45 is designed to be as simple to drive and as painless to own as any other production diesel sportscruiser. Only faster. Not scary fast like one of its 100-knot raceboats, but a solid 50 knots-plus flat out and all-day cruising at 40-45 knots without even breaking a sweat.
“We wanted to build a genuinely comfortable long-range tool that would give owners the freedom to go anywhere they wanted in a short space of time,” says Watts. “We could have made it faster by fitting big petrol engines or low-drag surface drives but that would have made it far less user friendly.”
In fact, the original Bladerunner 45 prototype was fitted with triple Cummins 550hp engines on Arneson surface drives and clocked up a top speed of over 70 knots, but as Watts so rightly says, “Those kind of speeds are only fun for 20 minutes, they’re not that much fun for three or four hours.”
Surface drives also went against Watts’ desire to create a boat that was as easy to drive as it was to own. They are slow to plane, tricky to trim and notoriously difficult to steer during low-speed berthing manoeuvres, whereas duo-prop sterndrives give rapid acceleration, are much less sensitive to trim and turn on a sixpence. And that’s before you consider the benefits of the Volvo network with a dealer in every port stocking off-the-shelf D6 parts.
Strong and stable
Like all Bladerunners, the BR45 uses a stabilised monohull designed by Adam Younger and Ice Marine.
The design gives the offshore seakeeping characteristics of a deep-vee monohull with the speed and stability of a multihull.
The early Bladerunner designs were all about maximising race performance with air entrapment tunnels designed to create aerodynamic lift at speed. They worked brilliantly, winning countless races, but as a leisure boat, the low internal volume of the BR34’s slender hull and its reluctance to run comfortably below 40 knots limited its appeal.
The BR45 has a third-generation hull with the focus on fast, comfortable cruising rather than outright performance. The beamier main hull creates more accommodation space below decks while a deeper forefoot with a sharper deadrise angle ensures it cuts more easily through the waves for a softer ride. Three steps rather than two gives a flatter, more efficient drive while slightly wider chines make it more tolerant of different fuel loadings. A 1400-litre fuel tank gives a theoretical range of 330nm at 40 knots and 400nm at 30.
The prototype was built using an all-carbon-fibre hull to maximise performance but the vinylester resin with localised carbon reinforcement used in the production version claims to give a softer, quieter ride than the light but noisy, unforgiving prototype. “A little bit of extra weight actually helps,” says Watts.
Four Ullman Echelon suspension seats add a final layer of defence against larger lumps and bumps.
Sporty but predictable handling with good low-speed manoeuvrability was also a major focus for the team. The stabilising sponsons generate enormous cornering grip and prevent it spinning out during high-speed turns (another vice some surface-drive boats are prone to), but reducing their size and depth has also allowed more lean into the turns for a natural, more progressive cornering feel.
Party platform
It’s not all about hull tuning though. The BR45 also needs to deliver as an entertaining platform once you’ve reached your destination.
Electric drop-down side windows, independent air conditioning, a large sunpad at the stern and opposing benches with a clip-in table ensure the fun doesn’t stop when the engines do. The swim platform features a natty electric bathing ladder and a pull-out shower, while there’s storage for a couple of battery-powered folding GoCycle bikes in the engine room.
Down below is a small galley and separate heads compartment, a good-sized dinette and two double berths –
one in the bow and one tucked under the cockpit. And thanks to permanent foam fendering all around the hull, there’s no
need for bulky inflatable fenders.
This level of performance and sophistication doesn’t come cheap – around £1.2 million ex VAT – but then none of its key rivals offer the convenience and efficiency of diesel power with the pace and handling of a thoroughbred raceboat. The first one has already been delivered to the owner of a large superyacht with the second due to be finished any day now. After all, if the old BR35 was good enough for David Beckham, the new Bladerunner 45 should be good enough for anyone. 
The new Aston Martin AM37 is a truly bespoke, handcrafted work of art bearing one of the world’s most evocative brand names
We couldn’t run a feature on the new generation of British sportsboats such as Fairline F-Line 33, Bladerunner 45 and Princess R35 without mentioning the most exclusive of them all.
The Aston Martin AM37 isn’t just reassuringly expensive but thanks to input from some of the world’s most talented car designers, it’s also drop-dead gorgeous. And unlike most of its rivals (Bladerunner 45 excepted), this one’s already in build.
We published a drive story of the prototype back in February 2017 and although production versions haven’t exactly been flying out of the factory gates since then, the fourth boat is now in build with a fifth due to start construction next year.
At the time of our sea trial, the factory was still fine-tuning some of the complex systems such as the sliding carbon-fibre cockpit covers. They have used the intervening months to good effect, refining these niggly elements, as well as modifying the aft section of the hull to promote faster planning and a flatter ride angle. We’re told it’s now six seconds quicker on to the plane and thanks to that lower trim angle, it should cut through the chop better too.
With an estimated speed 55-60 knots, sleek design and plenty of comfort and space, the Hunton 55 could compete with…
Let’s be honest though, you’re not going to buy an AM37 for the dynamics alone – you can buy a production RIB that will go faster and handle just as well for a tenth of the cost. The reason for spending £1 million on an AM37 (or £1.6m if you opt for the fully loaded AM37S with twin 520hp Mercury Racing V8s) is the pleasure of owning a truly bespoke, handcrafted work of art bearing one of the world’s most evocative brand names. Each boat is built by a small team of craftsman over an eight-month period at Quintessence’s workshop in Whitely, Hampshire.
The cockpit alone is a visual and tactile delight of hand-stitched saddle leather, glossy woven carbon fibre and sparkling stainless-steel detailing that outshines even Riva’s best efforts.
The glass bridge helm is as slick as the styling and features its own built-in concierge service that allows the factory to monitor all the systems by remote wherever it is in the world, ensuring a backup service to match its lofty ambitions. The AM37 is never going to be on everyone’s shopping list but that’s precisely the point. At this level, the last thing you want is to pull into port and find another one sat in the berth next to you. With a maximum output of just seven boats a year, the chances of that happening are infinitesimally small.
With an estimated speed 55-60 knots, sleek design and plenty of comfort and space, the Hunton 55 could compete with the likes of Pershing and Riva
Since purchasing the main assets of Hunton Powerboats in January 2017, the newly formed Hunton Yachts Ltd has been keeping a relatively low public profile while it seeks to rebuild the business as a smaller, leaner, more luxury-focused boat brand.
At the time of writing this, CEO Fiona Pool assured MBY she was on the verge of signing a deal to secure the funding needed to put the hotly anticipated Hunton 55 into production.
All the structural engineering is said to be complete and ready for tooling of the moulds to begin at mould CAM in Poole. Custom yacht manufacturers Fibre Mechanics of Lymington will be contracted to build the boats themselves.
Based on an original Jeff Hunton hull shape and styled in house with the assistance of the London-based Quarterre design studio, it marries a long, lean, deep-vee hull with a luxurious new cockpit and interior.
Open and hardtop versions are planned to broaden its global appeal.
Power comes from a pair of 1,000hp MAN engines on Arneson surface drives giving a top speed of an estimated 55-60 knots. Two double ensuite cabins separated by a lower saloon and galley provide a level of comfort and space that its smaller rivals can only dream of, enabling Hunton to compete with the likes of Pershing and Riva while still delivering superior performance.
It even comes with its own matching 2.8m designer jet tender tucked into an unusual side-loading tender garage.
The price for the new 55 will be somewhere in the region of £1.5- £1.7 million ex VAT depending on specification, with the first boat due in the water next spring.
DMS's new flapping fins could become a staple for motor boats
Dutch company DMS Holland is hoping to revolutionise the market for stabilisers with a new design of flapping fins specifically designed for fast-planing motor boats.
The company originally made a name for itself with its cylindrical MagnusMaster rotating stabilisers for displacement boats, and last year it launched the AntiRoll ‘flapping’ fins for superyachts. Now it plans to develop this AntiRoll technology into a smaller, cheaper, more effective package for fast production boats.
The key to this new design of high-aspect ratio fin is that they attach to the transom of the boat rather than being fitted through the main section of the hull. This makes them easier to install (the hydraulic actuators of traditional fins often have to be tucked under the floor of the master cabin) and ensures that all the internal workings can be kept in the engine bay, reducing noise disturbance at night.
It also has a number of interesting dynamic benefits. Because the fins rotate on two different axes, they can be swivelled all the way round so that they tuck in behind the transom. This not only reduces drag to negligible levels at high speed, but also enables them to double up as active trim tabs, tilting up and down to correct both roll and lean in much the same way as Humphree’s Active Interceptors. This means that instead of installing separate trim tabs and stabilisers, customers will soon be able to specify one set of AntiRoll stabilisers that should cover every eventuality from trim and lean to stabilisation at high speed, low speed and at anchor.
Although DMS Holland won’t yet reveal the full details of how the new system works across such a wide range of speeds, the illustrations appear to show three different operating modes: high speed, low speed and zero speed.
High-speed mode
At high speed, the fins tuck in along the trailing edge of the transom using small rotations of the fins to deflect the water down and create the lift on one side or the other, much like an oversized trim tab. The large surface area of the fins and high pressure of the water running over them at speed means tiny movements will generate substantial lift.
When combined with fast-acting electric actuators linked to the system’s roll sensor, this should enable them to react to any lean or roll and correct it almost instantaneously. Their ability to tuck away behind the transom will also be handy when it comes to berthing in a marina or manoeuvring in tight spaces.
Low-speed mode
At slower displacement cruising speeds, the fins swivel round into their extended position where they will rotate up and down in the same way as the high-speed mode. Although the slower speed of the water passing over them won’t generate as much pressure, their greater distance from the centre of roll ensures they will still create more than enough lift to counteract any side-to-side rolling. In fact, the long, thin, high-aspect ratio design of the fins, similar in shape to a glider’s wings or the pectoral fins of a humpback whale, not only create 50-75% less drag than the equivalent surface area of conventional fins but are also more efficient at generating lift where it’s needed the most.
Zero-speed mode
Finally, when the boat is at anchor and unable to rely on water passing over the fins to create lift, it reverts to the same actuator used to extend and retract them to flap them up and down like a pair of wings.
Once again, the high-aspect ratio design of the fins, the extra leverage gained from being further away from the boat’s roll centre and the fact that the whole fin is moving up and down rather than pivoting around an axis is claimed to make them more effective than conventional fins.
Although DMS Holland makes no reference to it, we suspect that it may also reduce the paddle effect that causes some boats to ‘swim’ over their own anchor.
One-stop solution
Patrick Noor, co-owner of DMS Holland, says: “Since there is currently no single system that performs optimally at both high speeds and at low speeds as well as at anchor, often multiple roll-damping systems have to be installed on one yacht. Soon, with our new system, one roll- damping system on board will be enough without having to compromise on stability at different speeds.”
Despite these claims, there is one obvious drawback of the new system – the position and size of the fins when retracted makes them unlikely to be suitable for twin sterndrive or multiple outboard engine installations. This rules out the majority of sportscruisers below 45ft, most of which are powered by twin sterndrive setups. However, for shaftdrive or IPS-powered boats, this does look like a very intriguing new prospect.
The AntiRoll technology has already been proven to work on much larger boats – a 37m Van der Valk was fitted with it last year, winning the approval of the ship’s captain and crew, so there is no reason it won’t work equally well on smaller production craft.
Testing under way
According to DMS, a number of major shipyards and dealers have already shown interest in the system and have indicated a willingness to test it on one of their models.
Alexander Jonkers, owner of the Dutch Fairline and Jeanneau dealer, Jonkers Yachts, has agreed to help test the system on one of his craft, adding: “I can’t wait to be able to offer the system to my Fairline and Jeanneau associates. In the meantime, I will support DMS Holland in the development and the first prototype will be tested with us.”
Full details of the new system will be revealed at the METS equipment show in Amsterdam later this year with the first deliveries of production systems scheduled for early 2019. DMS Holland hasn’t yet given any indication of pricing but with
so many players now offering stabilisation systems, it will have to be competitive to make inroads into an already crowded market.
Volvo bought an Azimut 68S to test and demonstrate its new self-docking system. Jon Mendez tests the new technology at the Gothenburg stopover of the Volvo Ocean Race
Volvo has long been one of the marine industry’s pioneers, popularising game-changing technology like sterndrive engines, IPS pods and joystick manoeuvring, but its latest innovation could trump them all.
The idea of a self-docking boat won’t just take the stress out of tricky berthing situations, it could also open up boating to millions of people who don’t have the skills or time to go through the learning curve required to berth in challenging conditions.
For the moment the technology is still in the development stage, but with sales of the system due as early as 2020 and a working prototype already on the water, the company took the brave step of showing off its latest invention to a select group
of media, including MBY, at the recent Gothenburg stopover of the Volvo Ocean Race.
The boat used for the demonstration, an Azimut 68S bought by Volvo as a test bed for its new IPS1350 engines, had standard Volvo helm controls with the usual electronic throttles and IPS joystick. The only visible difference was the addition of an iPad on the dash loaded with the latest version of the Volvo Connect app. This customer interface allows the user to view and control many of the functions normally built into the boat’s helm station. The Easy Docking page is then just a simple add on to the app.
Two sensors had also been added to the boat, one at the rear of the flybridge overhang that communicated with the sensors positioned around the berth and a second distance sensor on the stern that measures the gap to the quay. These are complemented by a minimum of three sensors positioned at various points around the berth.
The requirement for these shoreside sensors means that initially the self-docking option is likely to be limited to the boat owner’s home berth or designated visitors’ berths, which Volvo is hoping some marinas may decide to equip with the sensors
in the hopes of attracting more passing customers.
Did it deliver?
During the demonstration, the boat behaved exactly as promised, holding station in the catch zone with the berth chosen clearly highlighted on the app. The berth was between two Volvo Ocean racing yachts and had a good metre clearance on both sides, but there was a stiff F4-5 crosswind blowing over the starboard bow, making it a tricky manoeuvre, even for an experienced skipper.
We have seen the Dynamic Positioning System (DPS) in action before so it was no surprise to see the boat holding station to within 1m accuracy. What was surprising was seeing the Easy Dock feature take over the actual berthing manoeuvre. Once the computer was happy with the boat’s starting position, it began to inch it back along a completely straight trajectory, despite the stiff crosswind on the bow, until it reached its final berthing spot. It did this with pinpoint accuracy, holding the boat straight at all times and keeping it dead centre in the middle of the berth.
Even as an RYA instructor/examiner with years of experience berthing all kinds of boats, including craft fitted with IPS and a joystick, I wouldn’t have been able to maintain such slow, steady progress into the berth whilst keeping the boat perfectly on track.
The interface between the drives, the sensors and the joystick has been engineered to a completely new level. Our demo Azimut 68 remained perfectly equidistant between the two yachts either side of it and stopped about 80cm away from the dock wall.
How does it work?
There are three distinct stages to the process itself:
1) Open the app and select ‘Easy Dock’. The system should recognise where you are and give you a choice of marinas to pick from.
All you have to do is manoeuvre the boat into the ‘Catch Zone’ and wait for the system to pick up the shoreside signals and indicate it is ready to dock. At this point the boat will hold station in the catch zone waiting for you to confirm that you are ready to start docking.
2) Once you have prepared the lines and fenders, a gentle pull back on the joystick engages the self-docking function, handing control over to the computer, which manoeuvres the boat into the docking-ready position.
3) The final stage uses both GPS and the on-board and dockside sensors to automatically move the boat into its berth.
What does the future hold?
There’s no doubt that the system works but will it actually catch on?
The positional accuracy combined with the interface between the IPS controls and the computer is stunning. It’s so controlled and smooth that it would be interesting to combine this same technology with a better manual joystick – I find Volvo’s current joystick takes a fair bit of practice to build up confidence in and even then it would be hard to use it anywhere near as smoothly as was demonstrated here.
The IPS 1350 pods are unique in having a computer controlled clutch that allows a variable degree of slip, enabling both a smoother engagement and a much reduced prop speed at idle, so it’s hard to know how much of that smoothness is down to the clever clutch and how much is due to the computer operating the controls rather than a human. Either way, the result is deeply impressive and should be adopted across the IPS range as soon as possible.
Whether Easy Dock itself will catch on will come down to Volvo’s ability to sell the system to marinas, as if it’s restricted to the boat’s home berth the owner will still have to berth it manually if they ever want to cruise further afield.
The more intriguing prospect is whether Volvo can continue to develop the system to a point where it no longer requires dockside sensors but scans the empty berth using a system of boat- mounted cameras similar to some self-parking cars. If it can do this, then Volvo will certainly be onto a winner.
In the meantime, Volvo plans to bring the current system to market in 2020, both on new build boats and as a retrofit option to existing IPS- equipped craft, at a price that has yet to be determined.
For some owners that date can’t come soon enough, as berthing remains the most stressful part of their boating experience. For others, who actively relish the opportunity to test their skill and enjoy the satisfaction that comes from a job well done, the idea of a self-docking boat may already be a step too far.
Whichever side of the debate you’re on, Volvo should be congratulated for continuing to push the boundaries of technology in the hopes of making boats and boating more accessible to an ever wider audience. With sales of IPS drives already approaching 20,000 units since its launched in 2005, Volvo has already done more than most to simplify berthing bigger boats, and this self-docking technology moves things on again.
Hugo’s take…
This is a very impressive piece of technology but for it to be widely adopted it needs to be able to dock in any berth in any conditions without the requirement for shoreside sensors.
The agility of a go-cart, the speed of a sportsboat and the layout of a catamaran for performance: meet the WoKart!
WoKart?
It’s a portmanteau word that blends the words ‘water’ and ‘go-kart’.
Why so?
Because the concept is designed to blend the incredible agility of a go-kart with a fast sportsboat to give the sensation of a go-kart for the water.
How does it do that?
It has ‘a unique asymmetric catamaran layout (by Dr Albert Nazarov) for a boosted performance’, apparently. We’re told that ‘WoKart transforms water into roads and gives the feeling of driving on water, even in areas where jet craft aren’t permitted’.
So it’s not a jet then?
No, it’s actually outboard powered, and the reason you can’t see it is because it’s mid-mounted in the pod just behind the driver. Putting the weight and thrust towards the middle is another thing that promotes the dynamic kart-like handling.
How powerful and fast is it?
The largest engine you can fit is a 70hp outboard, with which the WoKart is supposedly good for 40 knots, according to the manufacturer. That’s fast enough in a 3.8m boat, we’d imagine!
Where is it made?
Although the WoKart is designed in Switzerland, it’s actually built in Thailand at CMI, a multinational joint venture under the management of Cobra International.
Can I buy one?
Yes, you can. Production has now begun and they are CE approved. WoKart is advertising the price at $9,800, but that doesn’t include the engine, which needs to be sourced in the country of use.
What if I want to take a friend along with me?
You can’t, unfortunately – this model is strictly a single-seater. But fear not, a larger two-seater version is on the drawing board.
A busy family life set Tom Wiggin on a quest to find an affordable used sportscruiser that he could transform into the ultimate fast dayboat. Several caught his eye, but were not quite the right one, until he stumbled upon a Sunseeker Superhawk 50
Friends and family regard me as a bit of a boat bore.
My fascination for all things floating dates back to my childhood and a father who was a keen sailor. Indeed, all the holidays of my youth were spent, come rain or shine, on a comfortable 36ft ketch.
Later on as I started to earn money of my own, I was able to pursue my interest more voraciously. My first boat was an 18ft Ring with a huge Mercury outboard that I used for water- skiing in the Bristol Channel. It did almost 80mph and burnt through a 25-litre tank of petrol in under 15 mins. But what a boat!
I loved it, even if the girls who were meant to be impressed by it were invariably appalled.
It wasn’t until my late twenties that I discovered, thanks to my beautiful Dutch wife, that there was a whole world of boating fun to be had in the South of France. We rented a flat in Villefranche and purchased a 28ft Cranchi Corallo. We had a lot of fun in that boat and managed to sell it for more than we paid for it, a notable but never to be repeated achievement.
Subsequent upgrades included a Monte Carlo Offshorer 30, a Cranchi Aquamarina 31, a Cranchi Endurance 33 (the only new boat I have ever bought), and the then flagship of the Cranchi range, the Mediterranée 50. All of the Cranchis were great boats, designed for a specific purpose, built to a high standard and extremely well priced. Most of the time we used them as glorified day boats with friends and my growing family. The Med 50 was the one boat that we did sleep on occasionally, but a disastrous week of rain one half-term dented the rest of the family’s enthusiasm for cruising and we reverted to dayboat use once more.
A brief flirtation with a 1986 Riva Bravo proved to me that an old boat was not necessarily a bad boat: the build quality was second to none and she ran like clockwork. But I wanted to try the ‘cruising thing’ again and for three years I owned a wonderful Ferretti 57 that we used to explore Sardinia, Corsica and the Italian and French rivieras. However, as our children grew older, our time became more constrained and I again found we had started to use her as a dayboat. This made no sense given the costs of running a big boat in the South of France, so my thoughts returned to finding the ideal dayboat.
It needed to sit eight people for lunch around a table, have plenty of sunbathing space, a decent heads and the ability for four of us to overnight as and when. Crucially, I wanted more speed to get us further afield in less time.
Plenty of boats met the criteria, including models from Windy, Princess and others but my now boating-wise wife decreed that she didn’t want one “that looked like everyone else’s”.
I liked the idea of an Axopar 37 but she didn’t like the loo being in the main cabin. The Rivarama 44 was perfect but too expensive. The Mochi 51 was too big. The Itamas and Pershings were only fast enough over a certain size and budget. A couple of friends had had good experiences with Huntons but I couldn’t find a 43 at a price I thought reasonable.
In the end, I concluded that I couldn’t find the ideal modern boat so I began to consider buying an older, less expensive one and refitting it to suit my needs. I looked at Magnums and even an OTAM but, again, couldn’t find the right boat at the right price. I ruled out the Sunseeker Superhawk 34 and 40 as too small but then I remembered that they made a 50 with fixed Trimax surface drives.
Before long I was looking at one in Holland fitted with triple Yanmar 420hp motors. The boat seemed in good condition but a subsequent viewing with a mechanic highlighted a significant problem and I walked away. In June 2017 I found another 2002 example located in the toe of Italy. It was in very good condition and had a full mechanical history. I agreed a price of around €110,000 and arranged for a delivery skipper to bring it back to St Tropez, where we enjoyed it for the summer with the idea of refitting her over the winter.
The Refit
The first step was to identify what was good and bad about the boat. Everything worked and the engines were reliable, if a little unloved. However, a previous owner’s decision to fit a 4kW generator in the stern as well as a hydraulic passarelle had induced a serious tail-heavy trim that required huge amounts of tab to get it to run flat, not to mention a top speed that was 10 to 15 knots below its 48-knot potential.
The interior was very dated including a carpet that had seen better days. The exterior also had that yellow boot top that Sunseeker used to use back in the 90s, so that needed to go too. I was also keen to look into fitting a gyro stabiliser and it made sense to overhaul the engines, drives and electrical system while we were about it. The cockpit upholstery was in good condition but the nav gear needed updating, as did the sun-faded walnut dashboard and the worn teak on the bathing platform.
The next step was to decide who would do the work. Nigel Cooke at Max Marine One in Grimaud had always looked after me well but I wasn’t so confident about the subcontractors we would have to use – not least because I would be less able to monitor the cost, quality and progress of their work. I’d seen Landau UK at various boat shows and chatted to one of their employees Jon Bagge on several occasions. It was clear to me that here was an individual with the attention to detail, the
passion and the encyclopaedic knowledge that I was looking for. And Landau is based on the Hamble, 90 minutes from home.
My decision to bring the boat back to the UK was quickly proved to be the right one when I was charged €750 to put her on the lorry in France but only £250 to lift her off the other end. Coast 2 Coast transport did the move, flawlessly and at a competitive price.
Read the full story in the October issue of Motor Boat & Yachting, out 6 September
The October issue of Motor Boat & Yachting is coming out this Thursday, 6 September and you will notice a few changes to the magazine...
Do not panic, do not adjust your set! This is the same Motor Boat & Yachting you know and (hopefully) love, it just looks a little different.
After seven years without a change, we felt the time was right for a refresh. We’re confident the new design looks cleaner, clearer, less cluttered and more contemporary, allowing the words and pictures to really shine.
It’s not just the look that has changed, the feel has too. We’re now printed on better quality paper that is thicker and whiter so that the colours really jump off the page.
We’ve also introduced a raft of new content, including two original column ideas written by a different MBY reader each month and a front section that cuts through the usual blizzard of news to bring you the only stories you need to read.
If you’re anything like me, any big change takes some getting used to – however, I urge you to stick with it. The look may not be familiar but I can assure you the stories are just as informative, entertaining and inspirational as ever.
And before you ask, I promise we will continue to feature a broad range of new and used boats, from affordable 20ft SUVs to 120ft superyachts – even if this issue is biased towards the top end due to our bi-annual Custom Yachting supplement.
I look forward to hearing what you make of the changes – email me your thoughts on mby@ti-media.com.
Everything from your banking to your home lighting and heating can be controlled via an app on your phone these days, and now your boat access can be too
Remote controls for extending passerelles (the access gangplank at the back of the boat) are nothing new and are extremely handy – allowing you to raise the drawbridge, metaphorically and literally when you leave your boat.
But we all know that remote controls offer convenience and frustration in equal measure as they’re all possessed by a masterclass in hide and seek (pro tip: it’s down the back of the sofa).
Well, if you have a remote controlled Besenzoni passerelle then it’s game over for the remote control, it can stay down the back of the sofa for ever. Utilising iOS and Android systems and compatible with retractable and external passerelles, the Besenzoni Unit Control requires a small Bluetooth receiver/adapter to be fitted to the boat. After that it’s a case of downloading the app, syncing the device and away you go.
What is particularly useful is the ability to link it to more than one phone, so other family members can also control it – great if one of the party splits off and gets back to the boat first without the remote. Just don’t lose your phone…
The Pershing 9X may be as fast and fabulous as ever but it now has the polished manners to match its outrageous performance
Back in the 90s supercars used to be big, brash noisy things that were brutish to drive and more than a little intimidating. If you overcooked it on a corner or backed off the throttle at the wrong time there was a real danger of stacking your Ferrari F40 or Lamborghini Diablo into a hedge. The same was true of fast, surface-drive boats. Alan Harper tells a salutary tale of the time he barrelled into a turn with too much trim and sent the whole shooting match into a violent spin that sent fellow journalists scattering around the cockpit.
It wasn’t until the advent of the Honda NSX that people started to realise you could still enjoy all the speed, style and grip of a mid-engined sportscar without feeling like you’d just survived three rounds with Mike Tyson. Of course some old dinosaurs bemoaned the fact that supercars had lost their edge now that anyone could jump behind the wheel and give it some stick, but the steady rise in sales of supercars that were faster and prettier than ever but easier to drive soon shut them up.
I mention this only because when Pershing announced last year that it was going to start fitting IPS drives and Seakeeper gyros to its latest offering, you could almost hear the ghosts of powerboat racers past spinning in their graves. To dyed-in-the-wool purists it must have sounded like Ducati was going to start fitting stabilisers and shopping baskets to its latest range
of superbikes. I’m about to find out if their concerns are justified.
Baying superboat
The Pershing 9X I’m sitting at the helm of still looks and feels like a red-blooded superboat. The Fulvio De Simoni styling is as sleek and aggressive as ever. The carbon-fibre decks and superstructure show no expense has been spared in the quest for performance, and it’s powered by a pair of massive 2,638hp MTU V16s, with razor-sharp surface-drive propellers glistening under the bathing platform.
Only the small joystick jutting from the armrest of the main captain’s chair and a pair of Seakeeper MG9 gyro stabilisers tucked into the engineroom suggest there’s more to this set-up than meets the eye. Pershing calls it the Easy Set system and as the name suggests its purpose is to demystify the dark art of berthing and driving a powerful surface-drive boat. It had better work because my experience of driving such craft is slimmer than a stick insect’s waist and I’m about to unleash the full fury of those V16s on a very trusting crew.
Perched high up on the innermost of the three captain’s chairs with the distinctive single-spoke wheel an arm’s stretch away in front of my knees and flanked by ZF’s stainless steel throttles on my right and the aforementioned joystick on my left, it feels more like the command station of the starship Enterprise than a regular boat helm. Three tall touchscreens dominate the view forward while a pair of deep windscreen mullions on either side block out a chunk of my peripheral vision. I take the decision that in a boat this fast it’s what’s in front of me that counts and ease the throttles decisively forward.
Somewhere behind me I can hear the pitch of the engines rise but it’s strangely muted and remote like the rumble of distant thunder. It takes a few seconds for the propellers to find their bite – the inertia of a 68-tonne boat takes some shifting – but a glance behind me reveals the water has turned from glassy blue to boiling white. Then it starts to happen, slowly at first but with a sense of impending inevitability that comes from having 5,276hp at your disposal.
The transition onto the plane is almost imperceptible as the Easy Set system adjusts the trim to compensate but once the turbos kick there’s no hiding the sheer immensity of the forces at work. The boiling mass of white erupts into a full-blown rooster tail, the water releases its grip on the hull and the 9X starts to skim across the surface like a smartly-thrown pebble.
Strong, silent type
The strange thing is that from where I’m sitting it all feels remarkably chilled. We’re reeling in the horizon at 42 knots in a 92ft cruise missile but without the speed over ground numbers flashing up on the Simrad MFD, I really wouldn’t know how fast we are travelling. The engines are so smooth that we can chat without raising our voices, the seals on the doors and windows block out any wind noise, and the Easy Set system means there’s nothing for me to do except decide how much throttle to use and point the bow where I want it to go. I try to induce some drama with an armful of lock. The fly-by-wire steering has an odd, artificially weighted feel that self-centres when you release it and sure enough the computer interprets my intentions, adjusts the trim and feeds in the rudders so that the boat traces a smooth steady arc that would barely ruffle the surface of a G&T.
It’s only when I pass over the helm and retreat to the open cockpit that I get a proper sense of the sound and fury. There’s no hiding the full power of the engines out here and the sheer speed and height of the rooster tail is a genuinely awe-inspiring sight. Of course you have got the option of driving from the sundeck up top if you want to feel the wind in your hair, although once again the wheel is a long way in front of you and down by your ankles. Perhaps that’s why the joystick is there for you to make course adjustments under way as well as help with berthing. Now you too can pull into port and look like a boating god as you point and twist the joystick in the direction you want to go while the computer juggles the drives, thrusters and rudders to follow your every command.
Of course there’s a lot more to the 9X than simply getting to the best bay ahead of the chasing pack in order to grab the prime anchoring spot. You want to enjoy the boat when you get there and that’s where Pershing has also taken major strides.
The tender garage has a drop-down ramp that makes launching the Williams 385 and PWC a doddle. The foredeck seating
area and cleverly concealed sundeck up top provide a number of different options for guests to hang out in the sun, while
the clever drop-down patio doors create a seamless flow between the cockpit and saloon. And of course those two powerful Seakeeper stabilisers ensure it remains rock steady even in a Mediterranean swell.
Inside information
Personally, I found the interior decor of this boat a little too cool and clinical for my tastes but at this level customisation is a given so you should be able to specify a look that meets your needs. The master suite has 6ft 5in of headroom throughout, a totally flat floor and a large walk-in wardrobe in addition to a lavish ensuite bathroom.
The forward VIP is a little more unusual with its offset bed and asymmetrical hull windows making it seem a little less welcoming than the smaller but brighter guest double. The fourth cabin follows up the rear with a pair of narrower single beds. The crew area occupies a similar footprint to the master cabin but houses the ship’s galley as well as two ensuite crew cabins.
As we return to port I’m in awe of the 9X. It is a remarkable achievement that such a fast, powerful machine can also be such a relaxing, civilised ride. And the fact that it’s vastly easier to manoeuvre than any of its predecessors is a major win for owners and crew alike. If I’m honest, there is a small part of me that questions whether driving a 92ft Pershing with over 5,200hp should be a little more involving but the reality is that the owners themselves will rarely drive the boat (that’s what crew are for) and the mere fact that they can now do so safely without a master class in surface-drive handling is a thrill in itself. As Ferrari and Lamborghini found out some time ago, it pays to flatter the driver rather than frighten them and the Pershing 9X will charm them all the way to the bank.
Spirit Yachts may be best known for their stunning sailing boats, but in a remote corner of Ipswich docks, a beautiful motor cruiser is gradually coming to life
I should have known better than to rely on my phone’s sat nav system. It has taken me three-and-a-half hours to drive from Southampton to Ipswich, braving the M25 at its rush-hour worst, and I’m not in the mood for a confrontation with Google Maps. There’s no mention of Spirit Yachts at the entrance to the docks, a steel barrier is blocking my path and even after the nice lady in the marina office has pointed me in the right direction, I still can’t find what I’m looking for.
My phone’s screen suggests it’s less than 100 metres away but the road seems to end abruptly at the slipway outside Fairline’s testing centre, where a crane is inching a Squadron 53 towards the water. It’s only when the man operating it moves out of the way that I realise the track carries on round the side of the Fairline facility to reveal another building beyond it.
The rolling shutters are open on both sides and through the safety netting I can just catch a glimpse of an arrow-sharp wooden bow picked out by the sun’s rays. Even from here I can make out the sensuous curves of the hull, so smooth and pale it looks like a sculpted piece of driftwood bleached and burnished by years of gentle erosion from the sun, sand and sea.
This is Spirit Yachts’ stock-in-trade, elegant sailing yachts with long overhangs, low freeboards and svelte lines that hark back to the glory days of the 1930s. All of them are handcrafted out of wood but built using the latest hi-tech methods to make them light, fast and surprisingly tough.
What’s less well known is that they also build powerboats. Not in huge numbers and often for existing owners of Spirit sailing yachts, but that is starting to change thanks to a very special project taking shape in one of its two main sheds.
Known only by its project name of P70, it has been commissioned by an experienced motoryacht owner who was born in Norway but lives in Britain. He currently owns a semi-displacement Fleming and wants his new yacht to exceed the seakeeping, engineering and build quality the Fleming offers, but with the soul of a wooden craft built to suit his precise needs.
Wooden heart
If this doesn’t sound like a challenging enough brief, his key requirements are that it has to be capable of cruising comfortably at 18 knots non-stop for 1,000nm through the North Sea. That’s because although it will be based on the Hamble most of the year, he wants to be able to cruise to the Baltic for the summer months without having to worry about refuelling en route. And in case you’re wondering, he doesn’t bother with crew either; it’s usually just him and his wife or a few good mates to help with rope and fender duties.
It’s the kind of brief that would have most production yards thanking the customer politely for their enquiry before suggesting that they might like to look elsewhere. Not Spirit Yachts. Head designer and CEO Sean McMillan enjoys a challenge and the beauty of building in wood is that the usual constraints of fixed moulds don’t come into play. It’s not the only advantage; when used properly wood is remarkably light and strong with excellent insulation properties against sound and cold, as well as being infinitely repairable and environmentally friendly. Nor does it suffer from the leaks, rot and constant need for maintenance that wooden boats of old used to. The trick is to use it and treat it in much the same way as the layers of gelcoat, glassfibre and foam cores that make up a conventional GRP sandwich construction.
The process starts with the creation of a set of ring frames made up from multiple layers of sapele, shaped and bonded
to the exact dimensions specified by a computer program from Sean’s original hand drawings. These are fixed into position
on a laser-levelled jig and planked over longitudinally with 27mm-thick strips of interlocking Douglas fir screwed and bonded to the ring frames. Once the glue has set all the screws are removed and the holes filled to make sure there are no mechanical fixings to corrode. If this sounds worrying, bear in mind that Boeing bonds the wings of a 747 to the body of a plane for the same reason.
With the main structure now secure, between two and four layers of 3mm-thick kaya wood veneers are laid diagonally over the planking in opposite directions, marked, cut and attached using plastic staples, which are then sanded off, before being bagged and vacuum infused with epoxy resin. Kaya looks similar to mahogany but has a more open grain, which allows it to soak up the epoxy in much the same way as woven roving glassfibre matting. Last but not least, a thin layer of transparent GRP scrim is added to create a perfectly smooth and watertight finish that can be painted or even varnished to show off the wood beneath. The end result is a totally inert structure with much the same strength as carbon-fibre but without that material’s brittle, unforgiving nature that transmits sound and vibration almost as efficiently as a drum.
Spend a few minutes talking to Sean and you begin to wonder why more yards don’t build in wood. His answer is
as telling as it is believable: building in wood requires exceptional skill and experience to achieve the necessary strength and finish expected of a high-class yacht as well as a lot of man hours. In other words, it’s neither easy nor cheap. But the best things in life rarely are.
Being a Spirit Yacht it also has to look the part. Its sailing yachts are inspired by the elegant proportions of J-Class yachts but the P70 has no obvious forebear to pick up on. It does share some of its design cues with the handful of P40s already built, such as the flared bow and tumblehome stern, but the size and volume needed to accommodate the owner’s wish for three double cabins, a covered wheelhouse, saloon and dining/galley area meant some fresh thinking was needed.
The exterior profile alone went through 22 different iterations before being signed off and even now some of the details like the angle of the bow and design of the air intakes are still being worked on – the latest idea draws inspiration from the intakes of a classic Mercedes 300SL.
The end result has a recognisable 1930s motoryacht aesthetic but with its own distinctive style and layout. The length-to-beam ratio of 4.5:1 is much slimmer and more efficient than the 3:1 ratio of most modern motoryachts, while its dry weight of 22 tonnes is almost half that of a normal 70ft GRP flybridge. This in turn enables it to use smaller than normal 800hp MAN engines while still pushing its semi-displacement hull up to a maximum of 24 knots.
Four separate fuel tanks with a combined capacity of 10,000 litres and a built-in polishing and balancing system provide the final link in the chain needed to reach the required 1,000nm range.
The layout is equally unconventional with the saloon forward and half a level down from the wheelhouse, and the dining and galley area aft another half a level down.
The owner’s cabin sits below the saloon for maximum peace and privacy, with the two twin guest cabins tucked at the opposite end of the boat in the stern. The wheelhouse itself sits proudly aloft at the centre of the action with one door out to the port sidedeck and another to the open flybridge astern with its raised outside helm position and well-protected seating. The only area that rivals it for sheer drama is the engineroom, which enjoys the kind of towering headroom, space and clinical lighting normally reserved for operating theatres.
Soul trader
It all speaks of an owner who knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to ask for it. It’s a relationship that Sean clearly revels in, praising the customer’s vision and technical knowledge.
For instance, he insisted on fitting Seatorque’s oil-filled BOSS shafts for quieter running and reduced maintenance, and the electrical system is built around a li-ion battery bank so that it can power the air conditioning and Sleipner curved fin stabilisers overnight without having to run the generator. Even simple things like the deep bulwarks, which allow crew to move safely around the decks without the need for ugly stainless steel guardrails, smack of someone who has extensive experience of boating in all weathers.
Above all you get the impression the owner is enjoying the build process almost as much as he will enjoy cruising the finished boat. It’s not hard to see why. Stroll around the P70’s carcass and you can feel it coming to life. Everywhere you look there’s a craftsman or woman using their skills and experience to create their own little work of art. This isn’t a production line, it’s a group of artisans breathing life into somebody else’s vision.
I had always assumed that the Spirit Yachts name was a reference to the looks being in the spirit of a 1930s classic. Now I’m starting to wonder whether it’s simply because each of its boats, and the P70 in particular, has a spirit and soul of its own.
A blustery day trip from Lymington to Poole in a Windy 27 Solano is all it takes to fall in love with this exhilarating all-rounder
Windy 27 Solano
The real test of a hull is not how fast it feels but how well it disguises it. Some boats feel positively scary at 25 knots while others are totally relaxed at twice that speed.
I discovered this early on in my time with the Windy Solano 27. I’d be running at speed alongside our photo boat, a Zonda 31, so that our snapper Richard could reel off some nice tracking shots.
A westerly breeze was just starting to kick up a short chop directly on our bows and both boats were lapping up the conditions, drilling through the wave tops at 40 knots with salvos of spray ricocheting off the chines like bullets from a Gatling gun.
The 27ft Solano had no trouble keeping up with its bigger sister in these conditions and thanks to its single 430hp petrol V8, the most powerful engine option available, it still had more to give. A lot more.
A couple of explorative bursts saw the tacho stray well past 45 knots and by the time I eased back to 35 knots it felt like we were barely moving. That, at any rate, is my excuse for what happened next.
The photo boat had slowed to around 14 knots so that Richard could change lenses, kicking up a sizeable wake as it dragged its stern through the water.
This was too good an opportunity to resist. I pointed the Solano’s bow at the tallest, steepest section of the wake and eased the throttle forward to what felt like a 25-knot cruise but in retrospect must have been a good 10-15 knots faster.
When we hit the wake, the hull’s flat running angle and sheer momentum was enough to briefly bury the forefoot
in the wake before generating the lift needed to launch the bow skywards.
For a horrible moment I thought I’d overcooked it as first the hull and then the propeller parted company with the water. The engine note barely faltered but I can still remember the sudden absence of hull noise as water gave way to air and we flew straight as an arrow for a good couple of boat lengths before landing with a satisfying whoomph and continuing on our way.
The London Yacht Show will take place at London's St Katharine Docks in May with Fairline, Princess and Sunseeker all planning to exhibit
British Marine is backing plans to relaunch a major new boat show in London in the spring. Informa Exhibitions, which already runs the successful Monaco and Fort Lauderdale boat shows, has taken over the old London On Water show with a view to turning it into a bigger and better event.
The show takes place in May at St Katharine Docks, close to the City of London and yards from Tower Bridge. In previous years it has been a relatively small event but with Informa’s resources and the backing of British Marine, which runs the Southampton Boat Show, hopes are high that it will put a London boat show back on the international calendar.
“We’ve taken this show on for what it can be, not what it is,” says Andrew Williams, president of maritime for Informa Exhibitions. “Our decision to partner with British Marine stems from our desire to work very closely with the industry.”
Despite aiming for a three to four-fold increase in size, Andrew is keen for the show (renamed the London Yacht Show) to retain its boutique nature. “We’re not looking to compete with the Southampton Boat Show, this will be a focussed event aimed at the luxury end of the market.”
Lesley Robinson, CEO of British Marine, has already given it her backing, telling MBY: “Our decades of experience running renowned boat shows in the UK mean a network of relationships and contacts. In particular, our sales team will be working with the team at Informa to secure and grow the presence of leading brands.”
However, Robinson is keen to stress that the new LYS is not a direct replacement for the now defunct ExCel show. “LYS is a completely different prospect. It is primarily catering to the demands of boat brands and associated products and services which cater for the luxury market.”
Current plans envisage an immediate expansion to around 77 on-water berths, including eight superyachts. There will also be three floating villages and a number of land-based marquees and hospitality areas.
It’s a move that has already been warmly welcomed by all three of the UK’s major motor boat builders.
Miles Moorhouse of Fairline Yachts told MBY: “We’re very excited. With British Marine driving the show forward and the weight
of Informa Exhibitions behind it, it has every reason to be successful.”
It’s a view echoed by Princess Yachts marketing director, Kiran Haslam. “A London-centric show is a hugely important event for the industry. The proposed dates and the location of this show are better than the old Excel show. Many of our clients
are skiing in early January and Excel was always at the mercy of winter travel issues”.
Sunseeker is also planning to exhibit.
The Editor’s View…
This could be exactly the kind of BOAT SHOW LONDON NEEDS. Both the timing and location of it are far more appealing than EXCEL in January. St Kat’s doesn’t have a lot of berths so I hope they manage to get a good mix of boats for people to see not just the obvious big guns.
Cox Powertrain CXO 300hp, the world’s first 300hp production diesel outboard, is here at last thanks to the engineering expertise of a pioneering British company
The dream of a powerful but refined diesel outboard engine is about to become a reality.
After years of promises, dead ends and false dawns, British start-up Cox Powertrain finally unveiled the first pre-production units of its hotly anticipated CXO 300hp turbo diesel outboard engine at last month’s Fort Lauderdale boat show.
Unlike rival diesel outboard manufacturer Oxe, which uses a highly tuned marinised version of General Motors’ 200hp 2-litre four cylinder car engine, the CXO 300 has been designed from the ground up as a purpose-built marine outboard engine.
Developed in conjunction with British-based engineering specialists Ricardo, who have worked with everyone from McLaren Cars to Bugatti, it uses a brand new four-stroke 4.4-litre V8 block.
Cast from aluminium alloy, rather than steel, to keep the weight down and featuring a narrow-angle 60° V to reduce its footprint, it’s not just the most powerful diesel outboard engine in production, it’s also the most sophisticated.
High-pressure common rail fuel injection, twin turbochargers and a compression ratio of 16:1 help it to develop an impressive 300hp at the prop (its crankshaft power peaks at 338hp). However, it’s the maximum torque figure of 479ft lb (650nm) and the fact that it’s delivered all the way from 1,300rpm to 3,000rpm that is likely to be of most interest to boat owners.
Cox claims this is almost double the twisting power of its 300hp petrol-powered rivals, a claim that’s hard to disprove given that manufacturers of petrol outboard engines rarely reveal their engine’s torque figures. Whatever the true advantage, the CXO 300 should deliver strong acceleration and effortless cruising right through the rev range, even on heavier craft that might struggle with conventional petrol-powered outboards.
Fuel savings
The block itself is mounted vertically so that power is delivered directly down a steel shaft to a universal joint as opposed to Oxe’s solution of a horizontal block with a transmission belt taking power down to the propeller shaft. The gearbox has been deliberately over-engineered to cope with the torque and increase its durability. As a result it is claimed to have up to three times the life expectancy of a petrol engine and be at least 25% more fuel efficient.
Despite concerted efforts to keep its size and weight as low as possible, the CXO 300 is no slim jim. It tips the scales at 375kg, just over 100kg more than Mercury’s latest 300hp V8 Verado petrol. That’s because the high compression ratio of a diesel engine means the block has to be substantially more robust than a petrol engine’s. To put that figure in perspective, the nearest inboard diesel equivalent, Volvo’s D4 300 DPH, weighs in at 483kg.
Fuel consumption is hard to quantify until we can sea trial the engine on a boat, as the unusual torque characteristics mean it will swing a larger propeller with a steeper pitch than a petrol engine without any loss of speed or acceleration. That said, Cox’s own bench testing suggests that it burns just over 10lph at 2,000rpm, rising to 50lph at 3,500rpm, the range where most of its cruising is likely to be done. It revs to 4,000rpm but unlike petrol engines, which rev to around 6,000rpm, the Cox’s power delivery is best below 3,500rpm.
Throttling up
Although the engine, drivetrain and leg are all purpose-built, there is one area that Cox have sought outside help for. The steering and throttle controls are all being supplied by Seastar Solutions, including the option to fit a joystick control for twin-engined applications– there’s no point reinventing the wheel if you can buy a ready-made solution off the shelf.
The engines are being built at a brand-new facility in Shoreham, West Sussex, with a worldwide network of dealers and distributors – Berthons in Lymington will cover the UK.
All this technology doesn’t come cheap: prices start at £42,000 inc VAT for the CXO 300, roughly £16,000 more than a comparable petrol outboard. However, Cox is confident that over the life of the engine, savings from fuel and maintenance requirements (service intervals can be as long as 1,200 hours) will more than make up for the higher initial outlay. All engines are covered by a five-year recreational and 18 month/1,500 hours commercial warranty. The wider availability of diesel in marinas, the 25% extra range it will give from any given tank size and the relative ease and safety of storing the fuel are further benefits, especially for commercial and superyacht tender applications.
Editor’s view
I can’t wait to sea trial this engine – its potential is immense. I’ve also heard that Oxe is working on a new 250-300hp diesel outboard based on BMW’s excellent 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine. It seems the diesel outboard revolution is just getting started.
At a glance…
Engine: Cox CXO 300 Capacity: 4.4 litre V8 2.0 litre 4 cyl Power: 300hp at 4,000rpm 200hp at 4100rpm Torque: 479lb ft @1300-3000rpm Weight: 375kg Shaft length: 25in, 30in, 35in Price from: £42,000 inc VAT Contact: Berthon Power Ltd – Tel: +44 (0)1590 647426 or click here
