Last week we ran a preview of the new Grand Banks 62 design which the company announced at the beginning of July. The 62 is an evolution of the popular 60.
But, the 62 is not a replacement model for the 60. In the design preview, we were able to show the plans and layouts but we did not have actual photos of the boat –they don’t exist yet– to show off the details that will make it a Grand Banks.
So, we thought that this week we would offer a part two to the preview by providing you with a look with photos at the GB 60, which embodies the new Grand Banks DNA.
The 60 was designed by Grand Banks’ CEO Mark Richards. Richards has had an illustrious career as an ocean racer, so he embraces the value of advanced hull design and high-tech, light-weight construction techniques.
The V-Warp hulls that Richards developed and brought to Grand Banks provide a unique combination of comfort in a seaway, stability, fuel efficiency and speed.
The 60 is not you grandfather’s Grand Banks from the age of 8-knot cruising. The modern 60 cruises at 20-plus knots and gets unsurpassed fuel economy. With the standard Volvo D13 900-horsepower engines, the 60 has a top speed of 31 knots, a fast-cruising speed at 26 knots and a range at 21 knots of 761 miles while burning about 1.7 gallons per mile.
One of the hallmarks of the new generation of boats is the definite nod to the brand’s long tradition of classic yacht styling. Note the dip in the sheer line halfway aft and the geometric windows in the saloon. Both say this is a Grand Banks.
While exterior varnished teak has been kept to a minimum for ease of maintenance, there are just enough teak accents to echo the yachts of the past.
The standard 60 had an open flybridge with a lounge and dinghy storage. In this version, the lower steering station is at the front of the saloon and the galley is aft next to the cockpit.
But, if the boat is configured with Skylounge, or enclosed flybridge, the lower steering station is replaced with an enhanced living area and the galley is moved forward.
The 60 has a three-cabin two-head layout forward. The master cabin is amidships, with the VIP guest cabin forward and the third cabin aft.
The fit and finish of the interior is classic Grand Banks with a fanatic’s attention to detail. For example, all of the teak bulkheads, cabinets, doors and drawers are finished with book-matched teak so the wood grains always match.
When the 60 was first introduced to the US, I was onboard with our Editor Emeritus Peter Janssen and Mark Richards. As Mark was showing us around and describing the company’s attention to detail, he went to the main control panel and turned on the generator. Peter and I, seated in the saloon, both noted that we could not hear it running, nor could we feel its vibration underfoot. That’s the attention to detail Grand Banks takes seriously.
The 60 is still much in demand and still a standard bearer for innovative, high-tech modern cruising boats of superior quality. Read more here.
