Thursday, June 5

Browsing: Boat Reviews

On May 31, Sessa Marine, a venerable Italian boatbuilder, launched the all new F48 Flybridge in Europe. The F48 had its initial debut at the boat show in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil this winter and at the Miami International show in Florida. In both events, the 48 drew much attention and the plaudits of dealers, customers and the press. The 48 is a truly Italian-style express cruiser with a large flybridge that has a T-top and a spacious L-shaped settee. The forward inclined windscreen gives the bridge a purposeful look and deflects both wind and spray when running at speed.…

This spring the German motorboat innovators at Fjord Yachts have introduced an outboard version of their two-cabin 490. With three 600-horsepower Mercurys on the stern, the Sport will have a top end speed over 40 knots. Fjord was an early adopter of the modernistic Euro designs, with slab sies, straight sheers and efficient stepped hull configurations. Axopar and many others were part of this trend. Ther 490 Sport is a walk-around design with a large sunbed forward, another large sun bed aft and hydraulic terraces on both sides of the cockpit that fold down to provide more deck space, The…

Silent Yachts is the first boat builder to have a boat cross the Atlantic Ocean using only solar powered electric motors. This is no small feat and proves that the original concepts behind the Silent catamaran designs and technology are sound. But, the business in 2022 and  2023 became a victim of its own success and adverse market forces. It simply outgrew its ability to deliver boats and ended up in receivership. As has happened numerous times in the past, one of the owners of a boat yet to be completed stepped in and bought the company. The new owner,…

Combining support vessel utility with super yacht elegance and finish, Outer Reef this month introduced the first new design in their Crossover series.  As part of the new Adventure Sport Vessel line (ASV), the 27-meter (88-foot) yacht is capable if fulfilling several different roles her owners. For adventurous owners who plan to explore the far corners of the world, the 27 Crossover has all the brawn and the range they need.  At eco-cruising speed, the boat will have a range of 3,000 miles. Plus, with a large boat deck and crane and a small boat deck on the cabin top,…

Level Yachts, a new Spanish boat builder, launched their first model, the 43 sT, and the new company at the Cannes Festival of Yachting in the south of France last September.  Both were warmly received by industry professionals and the international audience of boat owners. But, Level many be a new brand on the mid-range family cruiser market, its founders are not. Veteran yacht dealers and brokers, the partners between them have sold more than 2,000 new boats in the last 20 years.  The company and the 43 ST may be new but the first model is based on long…

Tamas and Sara Hamor launched the Xquisite Yacht company in South Africa in 2014 and have spent the last 10 years bringing truly innovative, luxurious sailing and now power cats to the market. To date, they have delivered 47 truly unique yachts to happy customers. For 2025 they are introducing a sporty 40-foot power cat that will be a fine warm weather cruiser. A two cabin, two head boat, the new 40 has a ton of outdoor space and open-air living area. On the wide deck between the hulls up forward, you’ll find two wide sunbeds with tilt-up back rests.…

The New Saxdor 40 GTC was introduced to the North American market last fall and is the Finnish builder’s flagship. A two-cabin, outboard express cruiser, the new boat packs a lot of amenities inside a relatively small envelope. The Saxdor company was founded by Sakari Matilla, a prolific boat-building entrepreneur, who also founded Axopar, Aquador, Paragon and XO Boats. While based in Finland, Saxdor builds most of their boats at their factory in Poland, a country that has become a boat building mecca. As of 2024, the company had grown to 600 employees. It has over 100 dealers in 50…

This year, Williams, the British builder of inflatable, jet-drive dinghies and sport boats, is celebrating 20 years in business. Over those two decades, Williams had become synonymous with high-tech, high-performance boats that are the class of the dinghy and tender market. The brand is so popular, builders of new boats often design dinghy garages and stern lifting planforms specifically for the Williams dinghy that will go with the new boats. To celebrate the anniversary, Wiliams is introducing three new models: the SportJet 460 and 520 and the DieselJet 625. The 460, at 15 feet is a suitable size tender for…

The Italian builder Persing, a member of the Ferretti Group, launched their new GTX 70 this week thereby adding a third member to the builder’s sport utility GTX line. The 70 joins the GTX 80 and 116. The GTX 70 is the creation of the Ferretti Group’s in-house design team in partnership with the  Product Strategy Committee, led by Piero Ferrari, Enzo Ferrari’s son. So, it’s no wonder that the 70  exudes supercar styling and performance. The new desig emphasizes the huge beach front area aft. The after deck is large and the swim platform can be lifted hydraulically to…

This week, Outer Reef Yachts circulated the first photos of their new 780 Adventure expedition yacht that is in the fitting-out stage at the Dutch shipyard where it is being built. Last September, when Outer Reef’s CEO and President Jeff Druek announced his company’s merger with the high respect Dutch builder Lynx Yachts, he noted, “Expanding our presence in the Netherlands and integrating the highly regarded Lynx Yachts management team into our operations marks a significant milestone for Outer Reef Yachts. This partnership aligns perfectly with our commitment to innovation and quality, enabling us to meet the growing demand for…

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