If the new Vanquish VQ55 isn’t the coolest boat at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show this week, it’s certainly one of the coolest.
Vanquish, the high-end Dutch builder, is holding the world premiere of its new VQ55 at the show, and it’s aimed directly at the American market with five 600-hp Mercury V12 Verado outboards for power. Top speed: 70 knots.
And you won’t have to leave any of your friends behind, if you want to head over to Bimini for breakfast or down to Key West for lunch. The Vanquish VQ55 holds 18 people. There are two cabins, for four people, below, with a shared head for overnights or long weekends. The 55 has a low draft of just 3’ 2” so you could trim up the outboards and beach the boat for a picnic if you want.
The latest Vanquish, the VQ55 is built with fiberglass; the company uses aluminum in most of its other yachts. The 55 was designed by Guido de Groot, who used to design Citroen cars, and he worked with a wind tunnel to get everything right. The 55 has a stepped hull for its high-speed performance.
The foredeck has a twin seat under the raked windshield and a large U-shaped lounge and table in the bow. All the way aft, a full-beam sun pad faces back. More seating, including an L-shaped settee and an aft-facing settee, surround a dining and cocktail table under the 55’s lightweight transparent hard top. The galley is behind the helm with a large barbeque, sink, fridge, and ice-maker. The side walkways are deep for safety while moving around the boat.
If you don’t want outboards, Vanquish offers the 55 with twin 1,200-hp Nanni diesels that provide a 50-knot top speed. They come with waterjet drives for safety.
Specs.: LOA: 56’5”; Beam: 16’1”; Draft: 3’2”; Disp.: 18 tons; Fuel: 1,200 gals.; Water: NA; Power: 5×600-hp Mercury Verado outboards.
