Energy Observer is the first boat to cruise round the world using hydrogen extracted on board from seawater. Hugo explains how this extraordinary vessel works
The problem with electric boats is not the lack of speed or power, it’s the size and weight of the batteries needed to give them a decent range. In simple terms the energy density of 1kg diesel is around 100 times greater than that of a lithium ion battery.
Even taking into account the relative thermal efficiency of an electric motor (90%) compared to a diesel engine (35%), you would still need to carry almost 30 tonnes of lithium-ion batteries to match the equivalent power/range of 1,000 litres of diesel.
To match the energy density of diesel what you really need is a means of storing power in another form that is lighter, denser and immune to the slow power leakage which all batteries suffer from.
The solution which former offshore sailor Victorien Erussard and maritime explorer Jerome Delafosse settled on was hydrogen. Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe (mostly in the form of water), has exceptional energy density (three times greater than diesel) and can either be burnt or converted back into electricity via a fuel cell while emitting nothing but pure water.
To demonstrate hydrogen’s potential as a fuel of the future, they decided to build a boat that was not only powered by hydrogen but also extracted it from the very water it was cruising on.
Since its launch in June 2017, Energy Observer has already cruised 18,000nm and visited over 25 countries extracting hydrogen from the sea, using a combination of solar and wind power, and converting it back to electricity to power its twin electric motors.
We caught up with the crew at a stopover in London to discover the secrets behind Energy Observer’s technology and how that could translate to the world of leisure boats.
Read our full feature on Energy Observer in the January 2020 edition of MBY, which is out now.
The open version of the legendary waterjet powered Picnic Boat is a thing of rare beauty, but what is the Hinckley R34 like to drive? Hugo borrows one for the day to find out...
Not many motor boats can justifiably lay claim to iconic status. Other than the Riva Aquarama you’d be hard pressed to muster a unanimous agreement for any other leisure boat.
But one craft you could easily build a compelling case for is the Hinckley Picnic Boat. This is the boat that not only put waterjets on the map and set the template for all future Downeast-style commuter/lobster boats, but arguably kick-started the hardtop revolution as well.
Hinckley launched its first water-jet powered Picnic Boat in 1994 and has since gone on to build over 1,000 examples in multiple sizes and configurations. And yet despite this extraordinary success, Hinckley remains relatively unknown outside its home market of the US.
The strength of the dollar, the weakness of the pound and the EU’s 20 per cent tariff on US-built boats certainly don’t help but the real reason Hinckley isn’t too fussed about exports is simply because it’s busy fulfilling orders closer to home.
One man who’s determined to change that is Hinckley’s first and only European sales director, Innes McGowan, and to make his point he’s brought a couple of boats over to the UK for customers to sea trial.
Given that we always try to test boats according to how their customers are likely to use them, I propose a day trip from his base at Swanwick Marina to the Needles, to test its cruising potential, followed by a stopover in Newtown Creek on the Isle of Wight, where we can drop the hook and enjoy the very thing it was made for – a picnic.
Innes is happy to oblige but given that the sun is out, suggests we take the open Runabout version of the Talaria 34 rather than the hardtop model. Whatever, so long as we can still have a picnic!
Read our full review of the Hinckley R34 in the February edition of Motor Boat & Yachting, out January 2.
Ray Bulman, MBY’s longest serving contributor and legendary power boat racing reporter, has died at the age of 89.
Having spent much of his youth messing around in canoes on the Thames before graduating to sailing boats in his twenties, his life took an unexpected turn when he accepted an opportunity to be the co-driver for his old friend Geoff Tobert in a long distance powerboat race.
He loved every minute of it and his account of their endeavours was so well received by the magazine he sent it to that he was immediately offered a job as their power boat racing correspondent. Despite already having a full time role at the Post Office, he accepted with glee and never looked back, going on to become the power boat world’s longest-serving and best loved reporter.
He became a full time writer for Motor Boat & Yachting in 1968 when the then editor John Liley tempted him to switch magazines with the offer of an expense account and the freedom to write features on all aspects of motor boating as well as racing.
Famously, this included MBY’s first ever test of a 17ft runabout built by a fledgling company known as Poole Powerboats. When its founder Robert Braithwaite mentioned that he was thinking of changing the company name to Sunseeker, Ray took one look around at the cold, dank surroundings and replied with the unforgettable line: “Sunseeker? You’ve got to be kidding. That’ll never catch on”. Thankfully, Robert ignored his advice and the two remained firm friends until Robert’s death last year.
It was a mark of Ray’s brilliance as a writer and raconteur that he was just as happy making fun of himself as he was recounting tales of the many colourful characters and celebrities he rubbed shoulders during power boat racing’s heydays in the 60s, 70s and 80s.
His original MBY column ran for 21 years until 1990 and just five years later he was invited back again to write a retrospective column about the joys of traditional motor boats which ran until 2010.
He carried on writing occasional news stories and features for the magazine for some years after that. In 2004 at the age of 80 he and his old friend Geoff Tobert recreated one of their original adventures by driving a restored 17ft Sunseeker Sovereign from London to Calais and back in 16 hours.
His last big feature for MBY documenting the many highs (and a few lows) of his remarkable 50-year career with the magazine was published in May 2017. RIP Ray, we’ll miss your wisdom, wit and wealth of unforgettable anecdotes.
Riva’s achingly glamorous new sportscruiser was unveiled at Cannes and editor Hugo was one of the first to take it for a spin...
The Dolceriva hit a top speed of 39 knots on test
The launch of a new Riva is always a big event, especially when it’s a fast, open model that straddles the gap between the yard’s smaller, sexier retro-inspired sportsboats and its larger, more luxurious sportscruisers.
In fact, right up until the opening day of the Cannes boat show its looks, its size and even its name were a closely guarded secret; all we were told was that it was less than 70ft and would we like to sea trial it? Let me see now – of course we damned-well would!
Nor did it get any less enticing when the wraps came off the Dolceriva to reveal a curvaceous 49-footer with Riva’s iconic lacquered mahogany foredeck and no less than 2,000hp nestled snugly into the engine bay.
The transom cover rotates to become a bathing platform
None of your fancy swivelling IPS pod drives on this beast, just 10.8-litres of raw turbodiesel power linked to vee-drive shafts and rudders for the full-fat Riva experience. The only nod to user-friendliness is the addition of a joystick to help juggle the engines and bow thruster when berthing, and the option of a Seakeeper NG6 gyro stabiliser.
Class act
The joystick may make things easier for the skipper but it doesn’t hide the fact that there’s a lot of grunt at play down there. Every nudge and twist results in a deep-chested rumble from the exhausts and swirl of turbulent water under the stern as those big props bite.
To help put that in perspective it’s worth noting that although the Dolceriva is roughly the same length and beam as the Wallytender 48, it weighs almost twice as much and packs more than double the power.
With its unique combination of art and design, of engineering and aesthetics, synonymous with the Italian shipyard Riva, the 56
Sat at the helm, the view is every bit as imposing as you’d expect. The fancy new smoked glass screen with its double curvature surface and cutaway base seems to float a few inches above the foredeck.
It’s a pity that the mahogany deck itself, with its white maple seams and 20 coats of varnish, is set too high for the helmsman to admire it under way, and that the stainless steel windscreen frame tends to sit in the middle of your eyeline but owning something as beautiful as this rarely comes without the occasional compromise.
Besides, any such thoughts are soon swept away with a surge of acceleration as I push the throttles home and the bow lifts in response. Once over the hump it settles back down to a more stately trim but carries on thundering towards the horizon at an ever-increasing pace until the speed over ground is hovering at a steady 39 knots.
The new Dolceriva looks suitably elegant from every angle
At this size and weight, the Dolceriva’s performance is more Rolls-Royce than Ferrari, a comparison that the hull seems to echo. It rides the rolling swell off Cannes with supreme confidence, rising and falling with a relaxed, languid gait that seems to flatten the sea rather than succumbing to anything as undignified as a slam or shudder.
The steering is surprisingly light and with a mere 2.5 turns lock to lock there is no need for any arm twirling but shafts and rudders rarely make for agile handling and the Dolceriva’s turning circle is no better than average for a craft of its size.
Then again driving a Riva has never been about its raw pace or razor-edged responses, the pleasure comes from revelling in its style and character, drinking in the details and appreciating the effortless manner in which it hoovers up the miles. Measured by these yardsticks the Dolceriva delivers in spades.
Plenty of sunloungers but the main cockpit seats lack support
Swapping the helm in favour of the bench seats running down each side of the cockpit seems like a poor trade. They work well at rest when you can unfold the beautifully crafted table and dine in style but at speed the backrests feel oddly low, and sitting side-on to the action with a slight slope towards the stern and no sculpted seat bases or handholds to stop you sliding aft is not the most comfortable way to travel.
Down below the opulence is off the scale with entire bulkheads swathed in hand-stitched saddle leather, soft white carpets that envelop your toes and so many shiny surfaces you daren’t touch anything for fear of leaving a fingerprint. Practical it’s not but impressive it most definitely is.
The standard layout has a lavish master cabin forward with a sliding door for privacy, a generous lower saloon, a good-sized heads compartment and a compact but reasonably well-equipped galley. There is an option for a twin guest cabin leading off a smaller saloon or a single crew cabin with access from the cockpit.
A choppy sea trial proves worth the wait as we test drive the Finnmaster Pilot 8 Cabin in the Solent
The Pilot 8 is surprisingly rapid and feels more robust than many of its direct competitors
Although the Finnmaster Pilot 8 made its debut at the 2018 Southampton Boat Show, the 2019 show was the first chance we had to test it and our patience was rewarded with some properly lumpy conditions in which to do so.
Like most of these small wheelhouse craft it does feel quite tall and beamy for its length but thanks to its Finnish origins it not only looks sportier than most, but it’s also uncommonly robust and well engineered. The mouldings are smoothly finished and heavily built, the stainless steel grab rails don’t flex and even the small fittings, such as hinges and latches, are chunkier than usual.
It’s also a supremely practical design with more lockers than you can shake a haddock at (I counted five in the cockpit alone), integrated fender holders, grab rails everywhere and three smart oval-section cleats down each side. There’s even a folding bench and a dedicated storage slot for the table so you can convert the cockpit from a leisure-focused space with sunpad or dinette to a bare fish-fighting arena.
A flip over backrest allows the dinette bench to face both ways
You wouldn’t know it from the photographs but the wheelhouse is offset to one side to make space for an impressively wide, deep sidedeck to starboard. The flipside is that there’s only the slimmest of ledges to shimmy along if you do need to berth portside-to. More sunpads on the foredeck and a deep anchor locker with optional electric windlass further cement its role as an SUV of the sea.
It drives a bit like an SUV too, pounding its way through the chop in a robust if slightly heavy-handed way. A tall, beamy craft like this is never going to slice through the waves as cleanly as a deep-vee RIB, but despite the odd heavy landing it always felt safe, secure and strong enough to withstand it.
And because you are insulated from the action inside a clean, dry and if necessary, heated wheelhouse you can happily use it when open craft are still weather-bound or tucked up ashore for the winter.
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The Barracuda 9 achieved a top speed of 41.7 knots on test
A well-equipped sportsfisher with a solid build, but how will it fare in this French dominated sector of boat building?
The pair of 150hp Yamaha outboards delivered plenty of mid-range punch and in flatter conditions would enable the Finnmaster Pilot 8 to give many a sportsboat a run for its money – even in lumpy seas and 30-knot winds we still clocked nearly 37 knots flat out.
On sunnier days the triple section sliding doors can be pushed aside to create a wide opening into the wheelhouse, and along with a side door by the helm there are twin overhead hatches allowing plenty of light and fresh air into the saloon.
Visibility is generally very good, although the windscreen is quite a long way in front of the helm with an overhanging brow that cuts off the view just above the horizon for taller people. The helm seat adjusts for reach but not height although there is a fold-down step that allows you to poke your head up through the hatch in calm conditions.
Heated and enclosed wheelhouse means this is an all-weather boat
A small galley with optional diesel cooker and a fridge under the helm seat serves the dinette opposite, the front section of which has a reversible back rest allowing guests to sit comfortably facing forward on passage.
A companionway leads down to a small lobby area. This is open to the mid cabin but has doors leading off it to the separate forward cabin and heads compartment.
Both cabins enjoy plenty of natural light with beds that are just about wide enough for two adults, and although most people will have to stoop or sit on the toilet to shower, the heads is bright, well finished and large enough to move around in.
Wakesurfing is the latest watersport craze to make its way across the Atlantic. Editor Hugo dons his wetsuit to give it a try
Hugo proves that you don’t have to be young, fit or remotely competent to take up wakesurfing
When Mark Mulholland, the European importer of Malibu boats, first rang to suggest I have a go at wakesurfing I can’t pretend I was wildly enthusiastic about the idea. I enjoy my watersports as much as anyone but I also know my limitations.
I’m a reasonably competent windsurfer and waterskier, having spent countless hours as a teenager floundering around in Poole harbour trying to master them, but learning new skills doesn’t come easily to me these days. I’m 51, I’ve suffered more than my fair share of slipped discs and ruptured tendons, and my brain’s capacity to absorb new skillsets feels worryingly close to the limit.
A few years back I made the mistake of trying to take up kite surfing and after several hours being dragged across the mud behind an airborne duvet, I chucked it in and went back to windsurfing.
Hugo’s brother Giles demonstrates that even complete novices can get up first time
Mark, however, wasn’t going to let me off the hook that easily. He assured me that not only was it relatively easy to get going but it was also a low impact watersport making it suitable for all ages and abilities. Apparently, this is one of the reasons it has become such a hit with families across the pond and is now sweeping through the UK and Europe with similar speed.
He has a point; I know what it feels like to wipeout on a monoski where the combined speed of the tow boat travelling at 30 knots and the ski accelerating from side to side means you can end up hitting the water at close to 50 knots.
Wakesurfing, on the other hand, only needs the boat to be travelling at 10-12 knots and because your feet aren’t strapped in, when you do take a tumble (and believe me you will) it’s no more painful than stepping off a paddleboard. The hardest part, Mark assures me, is getting to grips with the surfing lingo.
He must be able to sense my resistance beginning to crack and sends me a link to a couple of wakesurfing videos. Other than all the participants looking at least 30 years younger than me with board shorts down to their ankles and more facial hair than I could muster across my entire body, it does look quite fun.
There is also a chance that learning to wakesurf might gain me a few cred points with my 17-year-old son Ned, who currently views me as a cross between a free cash point and his own personal Uber. If all else fails, the boats themselves look pretty cool with more gadgets than a Bond car, booming sound systems, and a thumping great V8 engine. I call Mark and tell him I’m in.
Rock hard
By the time I’ve finally found a date and a location that works, summer has marched off into the distance and autumn seems to be fighting a losing battle against the onset of winter. Mark has fixed up a lesson for us with Charlie Toogood, owner of the Camel Ski School in Rock, Cornwall, where we’re staying with my brother and his family for half term.
Camel Ski School owner and wakesurfing coach Charlie Toogood
The timing fits in perfectly with our plans but it turns out there’s a reason those videos of 20-something wakesurfers wearing nothing but board shorts and bikinis were shot in Miami in June rather than Cornwall at the end of October. The conditions are so ‘gnarly’ on the day of our arrival that Charlie has to pull the boat out of the water to stop it getting trashed. Thankfully, a brief weather window appears a couple of days later and Charlie manages to squeeze us in.
With older brother Giles as a partner in crime and a couple of reluctant teenage sons in tow, hoping to witness their fathers’ humiliation, we rock up at the allotted hour to be greeted by an eternally enthusiastic Charlie. He assures us the conditions are ideal for wakesurfing and tosses us a couple of buoyancy aids to wear over our own summer wetsuits.
To be fair, the low afternoon sun is doing a passable impression of an Indian summer (without actually delivering any heat) but there’s no getting around a water temperature that’s alarmingly close to single figures. Concerned that I might end up with an entire feature about wakesurfing without a single photograph of someone actually riding a wake, I ask Charlie to bring his wetsuit too.
Demonstrating the technique on the sunpad of the Axis T22
Fully kitted up with Dry Robes at the ready, we blast out into the estuary to the waterskiing zone. I’m quietly relieved to see that we are the only people brave (or foolish) enough to be out here today, partly to spare any further embarrassment and partly because the one thing serious monoskiers abhor is another boat churning up their water, especially one specifically designed to make the biggest, steepest wake possible.
A brief discussion about who’s going to take the first plunge ends predictably with yours truly pulling the short straw. Charlie talks me through the technique for getting started, which involves sitting in the water with the board lying flat on the surface at 90 degrees to the boat and your heels resting on the edge of it while you cling on to a short ski rope.
In theory, as the boat moves forward the pressure on your heels pops the board upright so you can then push against it and wait for the boat to pull you out of the water before swivelling round to face the direction of travel, like you would on a wakeboard.
Charlie shows our beginners how it should be done
Much to my surprise, and my son’s obvious disappointment, it all seems to happen exactly as described and before I know it I’m riding along behind the boat wondering what to do next. Don’t let on, but getting going really isn’t hard; the board is larger and more buoyant than a normal wakeboard so you barely need to be moving before you can stand up and the angle of the pull from the boat’s ski tower is such that you really have nowhere else to go but up.
The less good news is that getting up is the easy bit, it’s the transition from being pulled along behind the boat to letting go of the rope and surfing the wake that’s tricky. But before attempting that you’ve got to give the boat time to do its stuff.
Craft kit
The craft we’re using is an Axis T22. Axis is a sub brand of Malibu, the world’s largest manufacturer of specialised wake, ski and surf boats. Boasting all the same performance and wake-making technology as the Malibu range but with fewer frills and a lower price point, they’re ideal for ski schools and clubs where substance is more important than style. Not that this one looks too shabby to me – its helm seems to have more in common with the Starship Enterprise than my own 22ft sportsboat.
The Axis T22 uses ballast tanks and a power wedge to generate the perfect wake
Charlie gave me a quick debrief on the way out here, explaining how the fore and aft ballast tanks swallow over a tonne of water to help generate a bigger wake, while engaging the Power Wedge (a kind of reverse foil) adds another 680kg of downforce.
Last but not least the Surf Gates (a pair giant side-hinged trim tabs) shape the wake on one side or the other depending on whether you favour a regular or goofy stance (left or right foot forward). Even by boating standards the lingo is pretty impenetrable to anyone over the age of 19 but I try my best to keep up.
I’m also rather relieved to hear that powering all this through the water is a good-old fashioned 360hp 5.3-litre Monsoon V8 engine on a V-drive shaft to keep the propeller well away from dangling legs.
The Camel estuary provides a stunning backdrop to the day
And just in case you don’t trust your other half to get the set-up just how you like it, you can either programme it all into the boat’s cruise control system or adjust it from a remote surfband you wear on your wrist while surfing. “Sick!” I exclaim in my best surfspeak, provoking a look of utter disdain from the two teenagers.
No time to worry about any of that now, I’m too busy trying to stay upright and get a feel for the wake that has now built to around waist height courtesy of all those clever gadgets. Charlie gestures for me to move across onto the steeper face of the wave and let the board start to do the work rather than the rope.
I ease my way over and feel the rope start to go slack in my hands as gravity takes precedence over engine power. Instinctively I lean back, slowing the board down and feeling the familiar tug of the tow rope.
The rope goes slack as Hugo starts to surf the wake prior to dropping the handle
Too many years leaning hard against the rope to accelerate out of a turn on a monoski makes this my default comfort zone but with Charlie’s encouragement I learn to shift my weight forward, pushing the nose of the board down the wake then controlling my speed by easing back to stay on the wave.
It’s a precarious balancing act but after a few seconds with the rope trailing in the water and the board running nicely on the wake I drop the handle – and faceplant straight into the water.
Beginner’s luck
It’s a decent first effort and even the youths seem moderately impressed, if putting down their phones for five seconds and proffering a quick thumbs up counts for anything. A few more runs and I’ve managed to extend my rope-free running time up to 30 seconds or so.
I won’t be performing a ‘switch backside air grab’ or challenging Malibu team rider Johnny Stieg to a ‘superman transfer’ shoot out any time soon but I have had a lot of fun, made a decent amount of progress in a short space of time and as far as I can tell no muscles have been pulled or bones broken, although that may just be the numbing effect of the temperature. According to my son, I am ‘stoked’ (euphoric) at my first wakesurfing experience.
Rather annoyingly my older brother also gets up first time, proving my own heroic efforts to be entirely unexceptional, while Charlie’s brief demonstration, involving a 360 spin and surfing back onto the bathing platform without even getting his beard wet, puts us all firmly back in our box.
But you know what, wakesurfing really is a fun, ageless, family friendly watersport that everyone can have a crack at. All it takes is the right boat, a ‘phat’ attitude and an up-to-date urban dictionary.
We’ve been itching to drive this boat ever since we first saw it at the Southampton boat show and the Hydrolift X-26S did not dissapoint.
Speed comes easily thanks to the deep-vee twin step hull
Hydrolift has a reputation for building extremely rapid and high quality craft, as you’d expect of a company whose CEO, Bard Eker, is a world renowned powerboat racer and designer.
However, in the past this quest for performance sometimes came at the cost of a leisure-friendly cockpit layout. The new X-Series range aims to change that by making the boats as much fun to be in when you arrive at the anchorage, as they are getting there.
The X-26S has certainly succeeded, with one of the cleverest cockpit layouts we’ve seen on any boat this size. By offsetting the helm station to starboard, the designer has created a flat, unobstructed walkway along the port side that stretches from stem to stern, giving all the safety and ease of access benefits of a walkaround model without stealing space from both sides.
Fitted with a single 300hp Mercury Verardo outboard, the X26-S hit a top speed of 54.5 knots on test
This in turn allows for a narrower beam (18in slimmer than an Axopar 28) for the best possible performance and ride. Multiple storage lockers in the transom, under the seats and cockpit sole with top quality mouldings, hinges and latches keep everything you’d need dry, safe and separate.
But perhaps the cockpit’s cleverest feature is its seating. Under way both rear benches can be set up facing forward but once the anchor’s down you can add the table and rearrange them into a more sociable U-shaped dinette. Need a kip after lunch? No problem, the whole lot converts into a big double sunbed to complement the second sunpad on the bow.
And that’s before you lift the forward hatch to find a spacious cuddy cabin with a toilet, a double berth and a small single tucked under the cockpit. Admittedly, the latter has so little headroom that it’s only really fit for water ski or bag storage duties but a couple could overnight in reasonable comfort.
We gather four of the finest sportsboats on the market for a group test – who will come out on
There’s even a neat little wetbar with a work surface that swings out from the starboard cockpit coaming to reveal a tiny sink with a pop-up light next to it and a pull-out bin beneath. Crucially, everything on board the X-26S looks and feels beautifully engineered and built to last with chunky stainless steel fittings, storage recesses for the fenders, sturdy handrails, a fold-out bimini for the helm and three bespoke cleats down each side.
It’s clearly a boat that has been designed by boaters, not just stylists. Whether you find the end result attractive is another matter. We like its profile and edgy, purposeful lines even if the offset helm and hollowed out stem look a little odd from some angles.
Our test boat was fitted with a single 300hp Mercury Verado outboard, which felt like the ideal match. The steering is perfectly weighted with plenty of feel and well judged gearing of 4.5 turns lock to lock. Any quicker would probably be unwise as that deep-vee (24-degree) twin step hull will spin out if you apply too much lock and power at speed.
The helm station is offset to starboard with clear instruments and a useful storage cubby
On the plus side those steps really do help the X-26S fly, clocking 54 knots with ease through a decent chop and riding so straight and level that it rarely slams, even when the hull leaps clear of the water. We would advise specifying the Zipwake trim tabs to counteract any wind or weight induced lean, especially with so much seating to starboard, as you need to keep that vee pointing down to maintain the soft ride.
Keep it on an even keel and it’s so forgiving that it’s easy to find yourself going 10 knots faster than you think. Hydrolift also offers twin 300hp engines for a claimed top speed of 70 knots!
In the UK we tend to think of Cranchi as a builder of small to medium sportscuisers but its latest offering blows that mindset out of the water
The all-new Settantotto (Italian for 78) measures over 82ft from bathing platform to pulpit and proved to be one of the most daring new launches at the 2020 Dusseldorf boat show. Viewed from ground-level it towered above onlookers with so much glass in its hull that it felt like you were staring up at a glass skyscraper rather than a boat.
In fact from side-on you could see right through the heart of the boat and out the other side thanks to full height windows on both sides, even on the more private lower deck. To be fair there is much to admire on board the Cranchi 78 including a spectacular beach club that doubles as a vast tender garage.
It’s large enough to house a 3.95m RIB as well as a jetski when closed but opens up to become a water-level lounge complete with overhead shower and free-standing furniture. There’s another innovation at deck level, where the sliding patio doors extend round one side of the saloon.
It doesn’t really make the entrance any bigger, as the flybridge stairs block access from the sidedeck, but it does make the saloon feel more like an inside/outside space. There’s also a fantastic foredeck seating zone with its own drinks fridge, stereo and wireless charging dock for phones.
The flybridge is no less impressive, boasting a vast teak outdoor galley down one side, a wide array of seating and sunpads as well as a pull-out shower hidden inside a stainless steel pillar.
Three different interior designs are offered, named after Italian cities, and a variety of layouts with either open-plan or enclosed galleys. There’s even the luxury of a deck-level day heads just behind the closed off helm area. Four double cabins, each with ensuites, and featuring their own designer furniture adds to the wow factor.
It all helps to give off a convincing superyacht vibe, although with triple IPS 1350s the Cranchi 78 manages to combine near 30-knot performance with comparatively modest fuel consumption of 386lph at 24 knots for a range of more than 350nm.
It’s a compelling package but may still take a leap of faith for buyers to desert the usual prestige brands for this resurgent Italian yard.
The largest of the Swedish yard’s range of sporty day boats is a 40-footer with a difference. Hugo takes a test drive of the Nimbus T11
The flagship of the Nimbus WTC range has a very clear mission – in the yard’s own words it is their “vision of the perfect day boat with the ambition of perfecting easy living at sea while providing a social playground for friends and families”.
Sounds simple enough but given the strength of the competition from boats like the Pardo 38, Fjord 36 and of course the new Axopar 37 that’s no mean task.
Thankfully, Nimbus knows a thing or two about designing fast, capable day boats and although a blustery Solent in early March is hardly the best place to experience the T11’s charms, if it can win us over here you can bet it won’t have any trouble in calmer, sunnier climes.
As luck would have it the photo boat provided by the UK’s Nimbus dealer Offshore Powerboats is a previous generation Axopar 37 Cabin. Berthed alongside each other, the Nimbus dwarfs its Scandinavian cousin.
It may be called a T11 but it’s actually 12.44m long (40ft 7in in real money). It’s also wider, taller and heavier with a considerably higher freeboard. It all adds up to a boat that looks a whole model size larger than the Axopar 37.
It feels that way too, the minute you step on board. The bulwarks come up to your thighs rather than your knees and the width of the walkaround decks make it wonderfully safe and easy to move around.
In fact the cockpit coamings are tall enough to make you wonder why they didn’t put in a couple of side gates to ease access from the pontoon rather then having to step onto the small aft bathing platforms or swing a leg over the bulwarks.
That extra length has been put to good use, creating one of the most versatile and user-friendly cockpits we’ve seen on a boat of this size.
The aft seating area is a work of genius; it consists of three separate bench seats all of which have moveable backrests and two of which swivel. In dinette mode all three face into the boat to make a sociable c-shape around the large, square teak table.
In sunbathing mode the two table leaves hinge forward and the aft seat’s backrest folds flat to create a double sunpad.
In lounge mode the two side benches swivel round 90 degrees to face aft, and finally in cruising mode the backrests swing over so that these two benches now face forward, giving three rows of forward-facing seats.
Crucially, all the mechanisms are smooth, robust and easy to operate – whoever designed the Fairline F//Line 33’s folding seats could learn a thing or two from these.
To read our full review of the Nimbus T11, pick up the May edition of MBY, out April 2.
At this year’s Dusseldorf Boat Show, designer Bill Dixon took us on a guided tour of the new Pearl 62 to point out what sets his design apart from the pack
When you’re competing against the likes of Princess, Sunseeker and Fairline, you need something pretty special to catch the buyer’s attention and that’s exactly what Pearl has done with its new 62. None of its 60ft rivals can match its combination of four double cabins, separate access to the owner’s suite, IPS drives and either a crew cabin or a jetski garage.
It’s not just the clever packaging that marks it out, it looks good too with surprisingly sporty styling and a sophisticated interior. As with previous Pearls, it’s the unlikely pairing of naval architect Bill Dixon and interior designer Kelly Hoppen that has brought about this innovative take on a familiar flybridge recipe.
The key to the layout is those IPS drives which position the engines in the stern and free up space ahead of them for a full beam mid cabin. A private stairwell just inside the cockpit doors leads down to this, which thanks to a large hull window and lit display case becomes a feature in itself. Matt black fittings, grooved oak cabinetry and gentle curves distinguished the show boat but Kelly Hoppen offers four different design themes to suit most owner’s tastes.
The rest of the sleeping accommodation is accessed via a companionway at the forward end of the saloon, leading to identical twin cabins on either side with a shared bathroom/ day heads and a generous VIP suite forward.
The main deck comprises an aft galley with a drop down window and bifold doors linking it to the cockpit and a rather small four person dinette opposite, although one of the two sofas in the raised forward part of the saloon can be swapped for a larger dinette if requested.
The deck spaces are another core feature of the Pearl 62 with a mini beach club vibe at the stern created by an aft facing bench, a large hydraulic bathing platform and a garage lid that hinges up to slide a jet ski in or out on recessed rails. The foredeck also boasts plenty of seating and sunloungers with a foldaway table and sun awning.
But it’s the flybridge that takes centre stage thanks to a neatly integrated hardtop with a vast sunroof and three separate entertaining zones at the helm, wet bar and stern. The latter features a glass balustrade overlooking the transom and two small coffee tables that double up as stools for the dinette.
Provided the IPS drives and hull perform as promised, it’s a very appealing package that comes backed by an industry-leading five-year warranty.
As well as winning the prize for longest name, the Solaris Power Lobster 48 Flybridge also got our vote for the prettiest new flybridge at the Düsseldorf boat show
You need to see it in the flesh to appreciate just how sensuous its curves are and how smooth and spotless the finish is. That upright stem, heavily flared bow and pinched tumblehome stern calls to mind a cross between a World War II motor gun boat and a Riva Aquarama – two of the greatest boating icons of our time – so it’s hardly surprising it triggers all the right emotions. Even the deckware sparkles like jewellery, with every joint and weld polished out and not a handrail in sight to spoil its lines.
It comes at a price of course, both literally and figuratively. Those deep bulwarks and walkaround sidedecks make it wonderfully easy to move around but also limit internal volume. The saloon is smaller than most modern 50ft flybridges, while there is only room below decks for two proper cabins – a master suite in the bow and a twin guest cabin and bathroom to port, although there is a small technical space under the companionway that can be fitted out as a crew cabin.
It’s a similar story up top where there’s a helm seat and sunpad but none of the usual dinettes and wetbars found on most flybridges. Even the cockpit is only really large enough to seat six in comfort, although it does have a handy tender garage.
This is a boat that sets out to offer something different that will appeal to couples or small families who value performance and style over space.
On those counts it looks to have succeeded, with twin IPS 600 or 650 engines and an unusual M-section hull said to offer refined cruising of up to 35 knots, easy handling and stable sea-keeping. We sincerely hope the yard’s vision and bravery is rewarded.
Most DIY projects are a little rough around the edges, but when Jimmy Callow decided to build himself a new boat only the best would do
Jimmy Callow shows off the result of his epic 4-year homebuild project, the Fabritec F44. Photos: Hugo Andreae and Jimmy Callow
I’ve seen a few home-built boats in my time and while I’m in awe of anyone who manages to complete any project of this complexity, if you look closely the end result is often a little rough around the edges. That’s hardly surprising when you look at what goes into building a boat.
It requires so many different skills from designing to plumbing, to woodworking, to electrical and mechanical engineering, that it’s almost impossible for one person to do it all. Even if by some miracle you have the correct skills, you still only get one chance to do it rather than honing your skills over time on a production line.
So when I heard that a chap called Jimmy Callow had built himself a 44ft flybridge boat from scratch, I envisaged some floating caravan with a basic interior knocked up in his back garden. Until I saw the photographs. It not only looked the part with a classy, contemporary exterior but it was powered by a pair of Volvo D6 engines and seemed to have an interior that could have come straight out of a Fairline or Princess. This needed further investigation.
The galley surround is edged in a special soft-touch coating used on some Fairline models
Small beginnings
Fast forward a couple of weeks and I’m sitting with Jimmy on his boat in Bray marina near Windsor. The camera wasn’t lying. In the flesh it really does look like a modern production boat complete with LED lighting, bespoke touch-screen controls and top quality designer fittings.
It even has its own branding with the make and model name proudly emblazoned along the superstructure – Fabritec F44. If it were on display at a boat show you would quite naturally assume it had just rolled off a production line – and not a high-volume, low-price one either. It genuinely is that good. So how did he do it?
The story starts back in 1988 when Jimmy was 19. He and his father took an old rain-filled 18ft cuddy cruiser in part exchange for a kitchen they’d fitted. It was an inauspicious start but it gave Jimmy the boating bug as he pottered around the rivers and waterways of North Kent.
Riva Aquarama Lamborghini is the fastest Aquarama ever built, capable of 48 knots
Before long he started yearning for something bigger that he could stay aboard but money was tight and buying even a good secondhand 30-footer was out of reach. Then in 1994 he stumbled across an unfinished Colvic Sunquest 34 flybridge that had been repossessed by the bank.
The engines, steering and electrics had already been fitted but not the interior, and crucially the bank was keen to get shot of it. Sensing an opportunity, Jimmy snapped it up. He had always been good with his hands and running a furniture manufacturing business meant he had access to most of the tools and materials he’d need to design and build his own interior for it.
It took him the best part of two years to complete but the end result was a comfortable family boat that allowed Jimmy, his wife Karen and two young daughters to enjoy as a family. Initially they kept it in Gillingham marina using it as a base from which to explore the Medway and Thames before deciding to move it permanently up river to Bray Marina.
Jimmy’s basis for the new project was a Colvic Sunquest 44. Photo: Alamy
“On the coast we often had to change our plans due to bad weather but on the river we could enjoy a longer season and even if it was too windy to take it out of the marina we could still stay on board and use it as a weekend cottage,” explains Jimmy.
They kept the boat for 19 years but in 2014, with their daughters now in their late teens, the time came to upgrade once again. “Space was tight and the Colvic was getting harder to maintain, if we were going to carry on boating as a family we needed something bigger. It was now or never.”
Buying a brand new 40-footer wasn’t an option but Jimmy was determined to find a replacement with at least two good-sized cabins and all the mod cons they’d need to keep them safe and comfortable for the next 20 years.
Zenon Yachts adopted most of Jimmy’s design changes and took care of moulding the bare hull, deck and flybridge ready for transport to Jimmy’s furniture factory
As before he searched the secondhand market for something suitable but soon came to the conclusion that nothing quite fitted the bill for his budget. Most of the flybridges he looked at were designed for sunny climes whereas he wanted something that was just as cosy on a cold winter’s day on the Thames.
That meant powerful heating and air-conditioning systems, a high output generator so that they wouldn’t be reliant on shore power, a domestic sized galley with plenty of storage and a practical but stylish interior that would feel like a true home from home. Once again he came to the conclusion that building his own boat might be the only viable solution to the problem.
Moving on up
“I hunted around for a suitable starting point and came across a company called Zenon Yachts building Colvic Sunquest 44 hulls for the Norwegian market. I knew the model had a good reputation for seakeeping as the hull was designed by John Bennett but certain aspects of the styling looked quite dated. I worked out how it could be modernised and discussed my ideas with Zenon Yachts.
From that point on Jimmy took care of the entire fit out, including stainless steel work, glazing, engine installation, plumbing, electrics and fabricating the whole interior
“We agreed to work together to update the design with new portholes, windows and windscreen as well as a new flybridge and folding radar arch. We approached Trend Marine to make the windows, who agreed but only if we bought at least three sets of them. Luckily, Zenon Yachts managed to get two orders for the redesigned boat from Norway and I agreed to buy the third. We templated the existing moulds and made new plugs and tools to fit the revised windows.”
Zenon set to work moulding the new hulls and in 2011 the bare hull and superstructure was delivered to Jimmy’s factory, FabriTec Furniture Ltd, on the back of a lorry where he’d already built a rolling cradle to wheel it inside the workshop. He paid £60,000 for the mouldings but unlike his previous project, the rest of it was completely bare: no engines, no electrics, no sterngear, no plumbing, no interior – just an empty fibreglass shell.
“There were always things that weren’t quite right with our previous boat so I said that if I ever did it again I would build the whole boat from scratch. This was my chance.”
The structural reinforcements for the hull and lower deck start to take shape
His first challenge was to design and fit a set of stainless guardrails and canopy frames but rather than outsource it to a metal fabricator, he bought some steel-bending equipment and taught himself how to shape the tubes to fit his new designs. “Dad always taught me that if someone else can do it so can you – I’ve grown up with that philosophy so learning a new skill doesn’t faze me.”
He did bring in a specialist welder to ensure the joins were neat and strong but that aside, he drew, shaped, assembled and installed a complete set of handrails for his new boat.
With the stainless steel work complete, Jimmy turned his hand to fitting the Trend Marine windows and portholes. Unlike the aluminium-framed windows of the original Colvic Sunquest 44, these were flush-fitting frameless designs that required Jimmy to learn yet another skill in order to fit and seal them correctly.
Jimmy built a latticework of frames to support every panel and retain a layer of insulation
Bare necessities
Next on the list were the engines and sterngear. Jimmy was keen to fit Volvos because of the worldwide network of servicing agents and initially looked at fitting a pair of 370hp D6s before settling on the more powerful 435hp variants, which he purchased from Coastal Rides in Dover.
He wanted the simplicity of shafts rather than IPS or sterndrives even though that meant designing and building his own engine bearers and mounts that would precisely align with the shafts and P-brackets. Thankfully his knowledge of CAD (Computer-Aided Design) enabled him to design and triple check all his measurement before committing to anything.
During the course of the build Jimmy reckons he made over 2,500 CAD drawings and spent over 2,500 hours on research and design alone. This, he insists, is the key to both the accuracy and quality of the finished boat, and ultimately saved many more hours and expense than relying on trial and error to get things right.
The saloon seating was designed to conceal the heating and air con units
Sure enough, the engines and shafts slotted neatly into place, allowing Jimmy to move on to the interior fit out. In many ways this was the hardest part to crack not just because it’s the part of the build that it is permanently on show but also because it involved sourcing all the right fittings and materials to ensure it looked the part and stood the test of time.
Before starting work on it, he and Karen went to every boat show they could looking for inspiration and ideas to draw on for their new boat, pulling up carpets, opening drawers and checking for suppliers’ names. At times Karen would stand guard by the cockpit while Jimmy rootled away inside, on other occasions they’d simply explain what they were doing and even ask for advice if the designer or builders were on hand.
Cabin fever
With no internal bulkheads fitted, their first job was to design a layout that suited their needs but also created a strong internal framework to support the hull and superstructure – GRP hulls are inherently flexible without one.
The first of the two big Volvo D6s gets slid along a track and lowered into the engineroom
The original 44s had a galley-down layout with two double cabins but Jimmy and Karen decided to bring the galley up into the saloon and use the space below for a third bunk cabin. With the layout agreed, Jimmy designed and built an entire structural framework of supports, deck beams, bulkheads and paneling with additional insulation to keep it warm in winter. “It’s probably a bit overkill,” admits Jimmy. “But I wanted to be certain it was safe.”
Structure completed, he set to work planning and installing the electrical systems needed to power the boat. The building blocks of this were designed and supplied by Energy Solutions using a 10KVA Fischer Panda generator with six domestic batteries and two for the engine starter motors. Once again, Jimmy himself installed all the cabling and switchboards as well as the LED lighting, bow and stern thrusters.
Next on the list was the galley and saloon. “Karen wanted a four-ring induction hob and an oven as well as a full-sized domestic fridge. They are all made by Bosch and fitted by me.”
The dinette seating and helm position take shape inside the saloon
However, it isn’t just the equipment that looks the part, the work surfaces are all Corian while the half-height bulwarks that act as both the entrance to the galley and handholds for guests moving forward are topped with rectangular section grab rails covered with a matt effect soft-touch coating.
“I stole that idea from a Fairline Squadron 42,” admits Jimmy. “ I manufactured the railings out of plywood then found the guys who supplied the coating to Fairline and sprayed them with the same stuff.”
The saloon seating, meanwhile, was designed around the Eberspächer air-conditioning system so as to keep it out of view but still easily accessible for maintenance. Hinged bases in the side returns create extra storage and the whole lot was mocked up in cardboard then manufactured in the FabriTec factory before being installed on the boat. Although it uses real wood veneers, they have been overlaid with a melamine finish that won’t fade or wear.
Flying start
The two helm stations were even more complex to make, involving countless hours of design and templating to ensure the Raymarine navigation equipment all fitted as planned and the ergonomics were correct. There’s even a customised touchscreen boat management system complete with FabriTec branding and a virtual profile of the F44 to control the lighting, tanks, power and diagnostics just like you’d find on a modern Princess.
Karen took care of all the colours schemes, carpets and upholstery choices, which were one of the few things outsourced to Quayside & Leisure in Cannock, Staffordshire. Many of these were inspired by what she’d seen at boat shows and the end result looks just as refined.
If this sounds like a lot of work, it was. It took Jimmy four years and as estimated 5,000 man hours of work to complete the build. Every day as soon as the furniture factory closed for the night, Jimmy would stay on to work on his boat late into the evening.
The galley features top quality domestic spec Bosch appliances
“It nearly cost us our marriage,” admits Jimmy only half jokingly. “There were moments when I wanted to chuck it all in and get back to normal life but we stuck with it and it has delivered tenfold what we put into it.”
Nor was it a cheap undertaking. All in it cost them £220,000 to build even without accounting for the thousands of hours of labour that Jimmy put into it. It’s hard to say what it may be worth now but Jimmy did have it formally valued for insurance purposes back in 2015 at £450,000. More importantly from his point of view is that trying to find a new boat with three cabins and all the spec he wanted would have cost him more like £650,000.
Finally, in 2015 the moment came to launch their new boat. As before they chose Gillingham Marina and waited anxiously for the moment it was lowered into the water and christened Anna Mae after their daughters Ellie Mae and Alix Anna. After a quick check to ensure there were no leaks and two weeks of final commissioning, Jimmy arranged for an approved Volvo agent to accompany him on the formal sea trials needed to validate the engines’ warranty.
Plans include cruises to the Baltic and the Med where its 30-knot speed will come in handy
“After plugging in their computers and asking me to increase the rpm by 500 revs at a time, the boat began to pick up speed. I kept telling them that I needed to slow down as there was a sailing boat close by, but he just told me ‘no keep going, keep going!’ We reached 30 knots flat out and then had to do it all again opening the throttles fully from a standing start to measure the acceleration. We hit 30 knots in 20 seconds. She passed with flying colours.”
Happy ever after
Since that baptism of fire back in 2015, Jimmy and Karen have moved Anna Mae back to the Thames. They spend every other weekend on her over the summer months cruising up to Abingdon or down to the Thames estuary with occasional longer forays along the coast to clear the engines’ throats.
The longer-term goal is to wind down their work commitments gradually and use the time to cruise further afield to Paris, the Baltic and eventually the warmer climes of the Mediterranean. “There is no way we could have afforded a boat like this if we hadn’t built it ourselves,” says Jimmy wistfully. “I still have to pinch myself that it actually belongs to us.”
After four years, 5,000 hours and £220,000, I think they’ve earned the right to call it theirs!
Costs & suppliers
Hull and superstructure mouldings: Zenon Yachts – £50,000 Seating, helm and radar arch: DIY – £6,000 Hand rails: DIY – £3,800 Window & patio door: Trend Marine – £7,000 Electrical system & generator: Energy Solutions – £36,000 Webasto heating & aircon: Keto Ltd – £12,500 Raymarine nav gear: PSI Marine – £12,500 Twin 435hp Volvo D6 engines: Coastalrides – £60,000 (inc. installation) Seating upholstery: Quayside & Leisure – £8,000 Other materials & fittings: Various – £25,000
We’re big fans of the French-built range of Rhea boats. They’re as sturdy as they are charming with a style and character that sets them apart from mass-produced rivals
Don’t be deceived by those traditional looks though, this all-new Rhea 32 is powered by state of the art 350hp outboard engines giving it a hilarious top speed of an estimated 45-50 knots. If it lives up to that claim, this could be the most unlikely performance boat of the year!
Even if you’re not that fussed by its pace, there is still lots to like about the Rhea 32. With its deep bulwarks, walkaround decks, teak grab rails and pontoon boarding gates this is an exceptionally safe and easy boat to move around.
It’s also ideally suited for cruising one-handed with sliding doors on both sides of the wheelhouse allowing the skipper to pop out and deal with lines and fenders. Other practical touches include masses of storage under the cockpit floor, cleats that fold flush to the cap rail when not in use and a flat roof for carrying paddleboards and kayaks.
Inside the wheelhouse, the dinette has a reversible backrest and slides right up to the helm to create more space around the table when at anchor. The helm enjoys good vision all round compromised only by relatively thick mullions between the triple section windscreen.
The accommodation is all open-plan with a big double bed forward enjoying lots of light and headroom thanks to eye-level windows and a skylight. The second double is more of a crawl-in space under the wheelhouse with limited headroom but a good sized bed that doesn’t feel too claustrophobic. Both share a wet room with a pull out showerhead.
Beautifully built, richly detailed and oozing with Gallic charm it’s an almost perfect blend of style, practicality and performance.
If you fancy something fast, fun and a bit leftfield then the Rodman 33 Offshore might just fit the bill...
The 33 Offshore’s hull is shared with Rodman’s high speed military patrol boat
It uses the same proven hull as Rodman’s 33ft fast patrol boat but has been adapted for leisure use as the ultimate fast fishing boat.
As with all Rodman boats, the mouldings feel impressively robust with a hand-laid hull and vacuum-moulded locker lids for a nice smooth finish.
In true fishing boat style the cockpit had been left bare but fitted with flip-up benches to provide some seating when you’re not hauling in 300lb Marlins.
There is a more leisure-focused cockpit in the bow with a big sunpad and mini dinette for use at anchor. That leaves only two proper forward-facing seats tucked behind the helm.
There is a small cuddy with a separate heads compartment deep in the hull but access is through a narrow opening in the side of the console down some very steep steps.
With its 50-knot top speed and long, wave-busting hull it should be a heap of fun to drive but choose your crew carefully if you want to enjoy its full potential.
Who’d have thought five years ago that Jeanneau would one day be building a 39ft open sportsboat powered by triple petrol outboards?
And yet here it is, the new flagship of the Jeanneau Cap Camarat range, the 12.5WA. With a beamy but purposeful-looking hull designed by Michael Peters and either twin 450hp or triple 300hp Yamaha outboards it has the speed to keep pace with more focused sportsboats but also a more spacious cruising-oriented layout.
You can really feel that width in the cockpit, especially once you’ve lowered the port coaming to create an extra little terrace overlooking the sea.
An L-shaped seating area around a big teak table makes the most of the view from here and backs onto a full width outdoor galley for an al fresco dining experience.
A walkway leads along the port side to another social hub in the bow featuring three big sunpads and a second more intimate dinette. Separating the two spaces is a commanding three-person helm position under a very substantial T-top.
A companionway leads down from here to a lower saloon boasting its own indoor galley next to another big horse-shoe shaped dinette that converts into a double berth at night.
There’s also a full-beam master cabin amidships with a big double and small single bed but limited headroom and a bathroom with a proper separate shower cubicle.
We’re intrigued to see how well it drives compared to an Axopar 37, Fjord 40 or Pardo 38. It’s unlikely to be quite as agile or soft riding as the Axopar and lacks the more modern styling of the other two but as a fast, comfortable cruising companion with lots of space and a sensible price it’s got a lot to offer.
The first of XO’s new range of aluminium-hulled boats, the 260 Cabin, has the same beam as the old 270 but in a shorter overall package
Deep-vee aluminium hull delivers strong performance in a robust, all-weather package
The result is a tough and very sporty little all-weather cruiser. A sharp upright bow mated to a deep-vee hull with a deadrise angle of 23° at the transom should make for a soft ride, while outboard engine options up to 400hp deliver a claimed top speed of up to 50 knots.
The small aft cockpit with flip-up side benches is supplemented by a more sociable outdoor seating area in the bow but the main action happens inside the wheelhouse.
A four-person dinette with a flip-over backrest enables the front section to double as a navigator’s bench and converts to a double berth for occasional overnighting.
A second side bench can be replaced by a basic galley if required. There’s also a small heads compartment opposite the helm with a toilet but no sink.
The boat on display at Boot Dusseldorf 2020 was a prototype and felt a little austere as a result but hopefully the production versions will match that tough exterior with a slightly softer, more refined finish that lives up to its billing as a fast, sophisticated, go-anywhere sportsboat.
Is it time you added a wetsuit to your lazarette? We test out the latest microfleece model from Zhik
Zhik's eco-friendly wetsuit is ideal for warmer weather
Wetsuits may not be top of every motor boat owner’s agenda, but given the number of SUPs, Seabobs and Jetskis that seem to accumulate on the bathing platforms of even quite modest cruising boats these days, a wetsuit can make the difference between a fun day out on the water and a dull, cold, miserable one.
Zhik’s latest wetsuit is primarily aimed at dinghy sailors but it looks equally well suited to activities such as paddleboarding and PWC riding, when you hope to spend most of the time out of the water but don’t want to freeze the minute you do fall in.
Rather than being a full-length, heavy-duty winter wetsuit it’s a lightweight summer suit without any arms. The separate long-sleeved top costs £169.96.
Its other unique selling point is that it’s made from natural plant-based rubber and recycled plastic bottles rather than oil-based neoprene. Despite this, it is claimed to be just as warm as a conventional ‘non bio-degradable’ wetsuit.
It’s certainly very easy to put on and comfortable to wear thanks to its lightweight construction, flatlock stitched seams and very stretchy fabric.
It clings in all the right places without feeling restrictive and did quite a good job of making my slightly saggy 51-year-old Dad Bod look rather leaner that it is. It even has a waterproof flap for taking a pee without having to strip off.
However, with only 2mm of thermal insulation and those oversized arm and neck holes, I would have preferred a slightly thicker fabric and more conventional cut with short arms and a higher, tighter-fitting collar.
It’s fine for warm summer days in the UK or chillier days in the Med but I reckon that if you’re going to produce a range of wetsuits, it might as well include some warmer versions of this otherwise convincing product.
Price: £229.96 (£169.96 for the longsleeve top) MBY rating: 3/5
First published in the May 2020 edition of Motor Boat & Yachting.
Don’t be fooled by the familiar looks and 31+ moniker, this Nord Star is a brand new boat with an all-new hull and superstructure...
All photos: Hugo Andreae
It’s also a very convincing one if you’re into this type of rugged, all-weather Scandinavian cruiser.
The good news starts with a wide range of engines that includes both outboard and sterndrive power up to a pair of 380hp Volvo D6 diesels giving a claimed top speed of more than 50 knots!
Combined with a robust walkaround hull featuring a tall, heavily flared bow and a fairly deep vee of 18.5°, it should make for one of the most unlikely performance boats around.
Imagine the look on a RIB owner’s face as you blast past, waving from the warmth of your fully enclosed wheelhouse.
It’s also a supremely practical design with clever ideas like a big hatch in the bathing platform giving access to the sterndrives, gently sloping step-free sidedecks and solar panels on the roof to charge the batteries.
Extra wide doors on both sides of the wheelhouse make it easy for the skipper to pop out and deal with lines and fenders while cutaways in the bulwark and gates in the guardrails also give access to the pontoon.
Combined with the aft patio door and the option of an opening sunroof, it makes for a pleasantly airy wheelhouse with room for a decent galley and an L-shaped dinette with a table that slides up a pole when not in use.
Two forward-facing helm seats are supported by a third flip-up perch. The ergonomics are spot on, whether seated or standing, and triple wipers maintain good visibility in all weathers.
Nord Star’s quirky layout has separate access to a large aft cabin with a small double and a single bed, while a second companionway forward leads to another compact double with a bifold door for privacy and a heads with lots of headroom but a strangely low door.
It’s all a bit busy with limited space to move around but it does mean you can sleep six people on board.
After playing second fiddle to the Botnia Targa range for so long, this looks like giving its Finnish rival a much harder run for its money.
As the name suggests, the Parker 920 Explorer Max is more a stretched version of the 790 Explorer rather than an all-new model
The beam, wheelhouse and forecabin are the same, so all that extra length is in the aft deck. The proportions seem a bit odd at first as the cockpit looks like it belongs to a 35-footer while the accommodation feels closer to a 26-footer.
That said, if you’re into fishing or fun days out with lots of guests it makes good sense. Modular cockpit furniture allows buyers to choose between a large, sociable swathe of seating around a pair of tables to an empty space for maximum fishing space.
The side decks are at deck level rather than dropped behind protective bulwarks, which wins a bit of height in the forecabin but means they aren’t as easy to move along as some offset designs.
The open-plan cabin is almost entirely filled with a big double berth forward and a small single-tunnel berth under the cockpit, leaving just enough room for a separate heads/wet room.
Power comes from either a big single or two smaller outboards. The unusual layout may not work for everyone but you do get a lot of boat (especially cockpit) for your money.
UK pricing starts at £100,047.00 inc VAT for a boat with a single 300hp engine. The model on display at the Dusseldorf boat show was €67,990 ex. engine but inc. tax, or €126,750 inc. 350hp engine, various extras and tax.
Hugo Andreae takes a look at a revolutionary new propeller said to be faster and more efficient than rivals
A radical new tipless propeller is being touted as the single biggest advance in propeller design since the 1930s. Claimed to deliver significant fuel savings across all different types and sizes of craft as well as faster planing, higher top speeds, superior handling and reduced vibration, it sounds almost too good to be true.
However, extensive sea trials carried out by US website boattest.com on the new Sharrow Propeller MX-1 seem to confirm all of the above and show efficiency gains of between 9-15% over comparable 3-blade propeller designs.
The tests were carried out on a 20ft Bayliner VR5 sportsboat fitted with a standard Mercury 150hp outboard engine, comparing Sharrow’s new tipless MX-1 against two market leading-competitors. Not only was it the fastest of the three (41.7 knots vs 40.8 knots and 39.0 knots) and the most efficient (4.6mpg @ 32 knots vs 4.2mpg and 4.1mph), it also planed earlier and outperformed them both at every 500rpm increment from idle speed to wide open throttle.
Each blade of the Sharrow MX-1 forms a single ‘tipless’ loop
This is crucial, as propellers that are designed to give the highest possible top speed often struggle at low to medium revs, and vice versa. So how is Sharrow Engineering claiming to have cracked the conundrum that has stymied so many others?
Tip troubles
As ever it seems to be a combination of inspiration and perspiration. The inspiration came from its inventor and CEO of Sharrow Engineering, Greg Sharrow, a music graduate, who originally set out to solve a very different problem.
He wanted to use camera drones to film performers in action but soon found that their microphones would pick up the noise of the drones. He realised that most of this noise was not being created by the drone’s tiny electric motors but by the propeller tip vortices.
Visible tip vortices on an aeroplane propeller. Photo: Rachel Sloman / Flickr
These swirling pockets of turbulence are caused by high-pressure air on one side of the blade rushing round to meet the low pressure air on the other, creating induced drag, noise and vibration. The same principle applies to boat propellers, where the tip vortices are even more pronounced and can lead to cavitation, when water is momentarily vapourised by the sudden change in pressure creating bubbles.
Greg reasoned that if he could reduce or even eliminate these tip vortices, it should lead to a quieter, more efficient drone. His light bulb moment came on a dog walk when the idea of a tipless blade, that loops round to rejoin the propeller hub like a strip of twisted ribbon, first popped into his head.
It took a further seven years of intensive research and development, substantial investment, 23 worldwide patents and a switch in focus from drones to boats before Sharrow Engineering unveiled its first production propeller at the Miami Boat Show in February. Since then it has already won an award for innovation and the company says it is now in discussion with a number of major propeller and engine manufacturers.
Crucially, although its first offering, the MX-1, is a 15in diameter propeller with pitches from 15in to 21in designed for planing craft powered by outboard or sterndrive engines of 100-450hp, it can and already has supplied custom made propellers for much larger craft, including one for a 65ft planing motoryacht.
It has also modelled and simulated tests on propellers up to 9.87m in diameter for displacement trawler yachts, container ships and even super tankers, all of which have shown similar theoretical efficiency gains. Much of this modelling and prototype work was carried out by the University of Michigan’s Marine Hydrodynamics Laboratory and involved scale tank testing to prove its findings.
Furthermore, speaking to MBY, Boattest.com’s founder and president Jeff Hammond, confirmed it wasn’t just the performance data that astounded his two test captains but the transformation in the boat’s cruising refinement and handling. Both captains reported less vibration, quieter running and exceptional grip in turns.
This appears to be due to a number of different dynamic advantages, including the Sharrow propeller’s ability to draw in more water from the side, the extra traction of what amounts to a six-bladed design and the exacerbated effect of the reduction in induced drag during turns.
Price point
The only obvious drawback is price. Currently, every MX-1 propeller has to be milled from a solid billet of metal, which helps explain the price of $4,500 for an aluminium MX-1 or $9,000 for a stainless steel one.
However, as Greg Sharrow pointed out in an interview with MBY: “The first Dyson vacuum cleaner cost $10,000, now you can buy one for a couple of hundred.” He also confirmed that in the longer term a move to series-production casting could reduce the price of the MX-1 significantly.
Until we can sea trial one of these new Sharrow Propellers for ourselves we won’t know for sure whether the claims being made for it are as game changing as they seem. Although we have every confidence in boattest.com’s findings, they were only performed on one boat, and unlike Motor Boat & Yachting’s sea trials, its tests are paid for by the manufacturer.
However, the science and the data do point to a significant breakthrough. We look forward to verifying it in the future with our own sea trials.
First published in the June 2020 edition of Motor Boat & Yachting.
