Author Peter Janssen

Boat Reviews
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Sunreef Building New Line of Fast Ultima Cats

Sunreef, which has been making luxury catamarans in Poland for the past 20 years, just announced that it’s building a new Ultima line of fast, high-tech, hybrid cats, starting with a 45 and a 55. Francis Lapp, the yard’s founder and president, said the new cats will have “the ultimate hull shape for all those who are looking to enjoy quick getaways in speed, comfort, and style.” The new line, he said, is “all about fast cruises, vast living space, and energy efficiency.” The new cats have sleek, aerodynamic lines and bulwarks that fold down from the aft decks to…

On Watch with Peter Janssen
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Riva Launches Sleek New 76 Perseo Super

Riva just launched its sleek and glamorous new 76 Perseo Super at the Düsseldorf show in January, where it got a lot of attention, with at least one British magazine calling it “Europe’s coolest superboat.” It’s easy to see why. Rivas have been the boats of choice for kings and movie stars ever since Pietro Riva, a local craftsman, started the yard on Lake d’Iseo in northern Italy in 1842 (think King Hussein, Prince Rainier, Sophia Loren, Brigitte Bardot and Sean Connery in the past; today, George Clooney keeps one at his home on Lake Como). Riva won some awards…

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New Electric Hovercraft Hits 50 mph

Michael Mercier built his first hovercraft when he was 13 years old, working with plans from Boy’s Life magazine. Mercier’s now 36, and after studying mechanical engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University and  years of dreaming and tinkering, he’s launched his first personal hovercraft. It’s the VonMercier Arosa, an all-electric craft that can hover about six inches above the surface (ground, water, or a combination of the two) and cruises at 20 mph but can top out (briefly) at 50 mph. The Arosa is powered by three electric motors producing 240-hp. Potential owners can choose either an 18 kWh battery that will…

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Numarine Building Explorer Yacht with a Pool

Numarine, the upscale Turkish builder, just announced that they’re building a new 40MXP global explorer yacht with transatlantic range. Standard power on the new 128-foot 40MXP is twin 800-hp MAN diesels, producing a range of 6,000 miles at 8 knots. Numarine says it has already sold the first two hulls of the yacht, and both clients, who are existing Numarine owners, have ordered the optional 900-hp MANs for a bit more power. Numarine specializes in high-performance, luxury explorer yachts. Umberto Tagliavini, the Italian naval architect who has worked on many of the company’s yachts, drew the hull for the 40MXP.…

Cruising Life
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7 Tips for Safer Coastal Navigation

In an age of sophisticated electronics and digital course plotting, it’s all too easy to overlook the basics of coastal navigation. Here are seven tips from Skipper Tips that can serve as a refresher course to keep you and your crew safe on your next cruise: 1. Double-check Courses. Parallel rules and protractors tend to slip when underway. Just a slight bit of slippage could throw a course or bearing off by several degrees. Take the extra step and measure your plotted course twice. If both measurements agree, you will know you’re right! 2. Keep Bearing Spreads to 60-90-120. Shoot two…

Boat Reviews
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Linssen Launches New 55, a True Convertible

Linssen has launched its new flagship, the 55SL Variotop, a long-range, steel-hulled cruiser with a creative convertible top. The 55, like some smaller Linssen, features a proprietary fully automatic convertible roof that opens or closes at the touch of a button. Linssen positions the 55 as an all-weather cruiser, or a live aboard, and the Variotop adds to that appeal. On a sunny day, open it and enjoy the breeze; if the weather turns, press the button to add overhead protection. The new Linssen has another standard feature that’s a bit unusual. The helm seat can be elevated above the…

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Apollonian 52 To Make East Coast Debut

Apollonian Yachts, a new brand that’s already making headway in the Pacific Northwest, will make its East Coast debut with a new 52 at the Palm Beach show, starting March 23. Apollonian is the result of a collaboration between Howard Apollonian, the highly regarded naval architect, and Vic Parcells, a veteran yacht broker. Their yachts are affordable cruisers that are designed for an owner-operator. The Apollonian 52 is a three-cabin, three-head, raised pilothouse cruiser with comfortable living spaces for cruising (or living aboard) and an easy flow for entertaining or relaxing. It’s powered by twin Cummins QSB 6.7 diesels linked…

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Arksen 28, 30, To Debut at Palm Beach

Arksen, the creative British builder, will show its new Adventure 28 and 30 for the first time in North America at the Palm Beach show, starting March 23. The boats then will head west, all the way to Arksen’s first U.S. dealer in Seattle. Arksen was started about two years ago and makes larger expedition and explorer yachts, up to 86 feet. It makes its Adventure boats in partnership with XO boats. They’re designed to be rugged, go-anywhere vessels and they’re made with military grade aluminum. Even if adventure boating isn’t your thing,  the company says you still can use…

Boat Reviews
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Kadey-Krogen Making Long-Range 60 Open

Kadey-Krogen is making a new Kadey 60 Open, the second in its line of Open blue-water, long-range cruisers. It introduced the 50 Open two years ago, with an interior that seamlessly blends the salon and galley areas with the pilothouse. The 50 Open will be on display at the Palm Beach show that starts on March 23, while the 60 is under construction at the same yard in Taiwan that’s made more than 600 Kadey-Krogens in the past 45 years. During that time, Kadey-Krogen has won a reputation for building full-displacement cruisers that combine easy living on board with excellent…

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Prestige Unveils New 65-Foot Power Cat

Prestige, the upscale French builder, is doubling down on its power catamaran line. It launched its first power cat, the M48, last summer. Now, it says it’s making a new M8 that’s 65 feet long and has as much room as a five-bedroom house. The new M8 will have  the same semi-planing hull as the M48, with the same profile designed to look like a monohull. Its 19-foot beam is large enough to provide a lot of room inside and outside the boat, but it’s relatively narrow in terms of a 65-foot cat. The foredeck on the M8 is unusual;…

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