The beautiful new Hunt 72 was just named Best Powerboat at the Newport International Boat Show, a particularly significant honor this year given competition from several other important and eye-catching new boats. But once you climb on board the Hunt, it’s easy to see why it was chosen. The classic lines are gorgeous; the proportions are just right, the sheer is long and graceful; standing on the aft deck and looking forward the teak side deck and railing seem to stretch on forever. Then there’s the 72’s exquisite fit and finish and virtually entire forests worth of varnished teak inside and out, not to mention the legendary Hunt deep-V hull that ensures safety and performance in all kinds of sea conditions. All in all, the boat took 80,000 man-hours to build.
The latest in Hunt’s Ocean Series of luxury offshore yachts, the 72 has three staterooms with ensuite heads (plus a crew cabin), an elegant salon, granite countertops throughout, a large aft deck and an expansive flybridge that’s accessible from the aft deck or from an interior staircase from the salon. The midships, full-beam master has a king-sized bed, a walk-in closet, a settee, lounge chair and extra space all around. For privacy, the crew cabin is accessed by stairs from the aft deck; it’s just aft of the engine room.
And the Hunt 72 performs. On its first run on Long Island Sound it topped out at 34 knots, powered by two CAT 1900-hp diesels. Cruising speed should be about 30 knots. Range at 20 knots is 400 nm, with a 10 percent fuel reserve. The boat has bow and stern thrusters, automatic trim and list controls, and the new CAT fingertip joystick for easy maneuvering around a dock.
Specs.: LOA: 71’3”; Beam: 19’6”; Draft: 5’5”; Disp.: 125,000 lbs.; Fuel: 2,050 gals.; Water: 490 gals.; Power: 2×1900-hp CAT C32 diesels. Huntyachts.com
