Author George Day

Boat Reviews
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Is 2025 the Year Electric Powerboats Go Mainstream?

Last fall, when the successful Finnish builder Axopar celebrated its 10th Anniversary at the Cannes boat show, it did so by introducing two new electric-powered runabouts.  This is no small statement for a company that made its bones building incredibly fast and muscular outboard boats with an attitude. Now, they’re building boats that purr. The electronic wave is definitely upon us. Battery technology and thus range improves every year to the point that new brand Sialia boasts their new day-cruiser can run at 25 knots for up to 70 miles. That was unthinkable five years ago. Advanced batteries in combination…

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Zipwake Dynamic Trim Tabs Dampen Pitch and Roll

Most of the modern fast cruisers that run at planing speeds have trim tabs that are adjusted manually to level the boat off and make it run more comfortably and efficiently. Adjusting trim tabs takes practice and skill and affects trim slowly, not dynamically. Swedish inventor Niclas Olofsson, who has a PhD in hydrodynamics had a better idea. In 1994, while on a business trip to Fremantle, Australia, the boat builder he was calling on had a problem. The Chinese company that had ordered several small fast ferry boats had rejected the products because the ferries could not reach the…

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A Pure Passagemaker, the Hardy 50DS Is Expedition Ready

The British-built Hardy 50DS is a businesslike offshore cruiser that is built to take on anything the ocean throws at it. The Hardy brand has long been associated with seakindly expedition yachts that have a good turn of speed and a huge range. But the yachts were more workboat than yacht finished. In 2020, the Hardy brand and assets were acquired by Cockwells in Falmouth, England. This builder of fine bespoke motor yachts and super-yacht tenders is known for the extremely high quality of their finish work. The marriage between Hardy and Cockwells has resulted in expedition yachts that a…

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Introducing the Innovative, New Makai 37 Power Cat

Power cats are intriguing for many reasons. They offer excellent stability, fine bow entries for a smooth ride, plenty of living space for a given length and high average cruising speeds with efficient fuel consumption. If that sound like a winning formula, the designers behind the new Makai 37, the ERYD Design Group, heard you. The 37, designed in Italy and built in Croatia, has the look of a modern sports car and the handling of a thoroughbred performance cruiser with all the benefits of catamaran design. The hulls developed for the 37 have what the designers call the Air-Glide…

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Aquador Celebrates 30 Years, Introduces New 400HT

Finland has become a prolific builder of sport boats and express cruisers. You may have heard of Saxdor and Axopar, which have made a splash in the US as well as around the world. But you may not have head of Aquador, even though it has been building Scandinavian-style express cruisers for 30 years. To celebrate this milestone, the team at Aquador are launching an all-new 40-foot 400HT at BOOT Dusseldorf in January. The 400HT is the largest boat Aquador has ever built and is a proper family cruiser with three double cabins, a large head and plenty of storage…

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Sialia 45 Wins Prestigious Award for All-Electric Boats

The Sialia 45, introduced earlier this year, has won the Gustav Trouve award for excellence in electric boats as the top vote-getter in the over 8 meter/26-foot class. This year more than 150 electric-powered boats were entered in the contest that were voted on by 6,000 electric–boat enthusiast around the world. The International Panel of judges, comprised of 32 electric boat experts, contributed votes weighted at a ratio of 3:1 in the final tally. The Sialia 45 emerged as the top choice in its category, receiving the highest number of votes from the judges. This recognition underscores the builder’s achievement…

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New Xquisite Sixty Solar an Ultimate Cruising Cat with Hybrid Propulsion

Tamas Hamor, the inspiration and driving force behind the Xquisite multihull brand, never does anything by halves. When he commits to a project, he’s in 110% and the results have been truly impressive. The success of his unique Xquisite sailing cats is a testimony to his tenacity and inventiveness. So, it is no surprise to see the launch of the new Solar Sixty Power Cat that recently went into production. Hull number one should be in the water in 2025. The solar designation for the boat comes from the builder’s desire to make the boat as self-sufficient as possible without…

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New Fleming 85 Flagship an Instant Success

Fleming Yachts announced in December 2020 that they were designing a new flagship to their esteemed fleet. The new 85 was conceived to be the world’s best raised pilothouse, semi-displacement motor yacht with trans-oceanic capabilities. Following the introduction, with only renderings of the boat to show, seven boats were sold. This was in the middle of the Covid pandemic when families around the country decided to get into boating  as a safe, outdoor form of recreation. But that doesn’t explain the instant acceptance of the new Fleming 85. This handsome and wholesome cruiser was the boat that many existing Fleming…

On Watch with Peter Janssen
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Hinckley Yachts Adds Mercury Outboard Dealership to Stuart, Florida

Hinckley Yachts, builders of the classic Downeast-style picnic boats, sport boats and Talaria Yachts, announced last week that the company had become a certified Mercury Marine outboard dealer. The dealership will be based in Hinckley’s large boatyard and marine facility in Stuart, Florida. The move to become a Mercury dealer underscore Hinckley’s commitment to providing top service to their outboard owners as well as to the wider market of discerning boat owners who make the Stuart facility their homebase for all marine sales, service and repairs. “As a company known for meticulous attention to detail and world-class service, becoming a…

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Italy’s Pershing Yachts Launches Cruiser-Friendly GTX80

When you try to put Italy’s Pershing Yachts in context amongst the host of other companies that build luxury yachts, it is helpful to think of Lamborghini motorcars. That quintessential Italian blend of radical design, eye-watering speed and luxury is what make the famous cars unique and in very much the same way made Pershing stand out from the crowd. Pershing designed and built yachts have always been rocket ships with blinding speed and sports-car handling. These are boats that have top end speeds of 50-plus knots and some of them will top 60-knots while also providing sumptuous styling, finish…

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