Tuesday, October 13

Browsing: Boat Reviews

The new 800 from the Italian builder Ferretti carries the company’s unmistakable DNA – that unique Italian blend of style and power. At 80 feet, the hull is of a size that carries its lines including the flybridge sweetly and without any jarring visual angles.  The actual flybridge is almost invisible from off the boat. Like this generation of Ferretti yachts, the 800 has been dedicated to outdoor living at its best.  On the fore deck, the designers have included a spacious sunning area with wide sunbeds. Plus, there is a lounge and a dining table that will seat five…

This is a first for Cruising Odyssey. We have never reviewed a boat from the Finnish builder Grandezza even though they have been building boats for a generation and have dealers around the world. Simply put, they do not show boats at American shows and do not have an American distributor. So here we go. The newest boat in their line of sport cruisers from 25 to 37 feet is the 34 Outboard. This is the same hull used in the 34 inboard but by moving the propulsion aft useful interior spaces have been opened up. Built on Finland’s west…

In the rarified air of the ultra-wealthy, sometime even the very best money can buy will fit into a relatively small package. And, so it is with the newly launched Zeelander 5. The Dutch builder recently delivered a new semi-custom version of their Zeelander 5 model to a Turkish billionaire, and the boat was tailored specifically for him. He wanted it to mirror the style of his luxury super cars, plane and home décor so what he got was an elegant blend of Bentley on the outside and Hermes on the inside. Zeelander builds four models, the 49-foot 5,  the…

Turkish builder Renda Yachts which is based in the beautiful coastal town of Marmaris, has set for itself a lofty goal: They intend to build yachts for owner operators that deliver mega-yacht style and finish. Their new Renda 62S has a very distinctive and aggressive look with an angular sheer, plumb bow, low black cabin and wide open transom. In a way, with its dark tinted windows, it looks like a boat for the villain of a Jame Bond novel complete with a giant laser to atomize his foes. With aluminum hulls and deck structures, the boats are light and…

Bering Yachts, the respected Turkish builder of motor yachts and expedition cruisers, launched the new B88 in 2024 and announced this spring that hulls two, three and four are in build. The 88-foot size puts these broad-shouldered mini-ships under the 24-meter threshold which in Europe makes the boats owner-operated yachts instead of captained mega yachts. This designation greatly simplifies registration insurance and crew requirements Yet, at 88 feet and with a cruising range of over 5,000 miles at 8.5 knots, the B88 is a true explorer yacht and has the interior volume of a boat 15 feet longer.  She has…

The German builder Fjord was one of the earliest adopters of the aggressively modern styling, the straight sheer, plumb bow and large hull glazing that is so popular today, particularly in Europe. And, while the brand has many competitors in the Sport Cruising market, they certainly have not lost their edge. The new 490 Sport underlines that fact with a big black Sharpie. Driven by three 600-horsepower Mercury Verado outboards, the new design rides on a hull with a stepped, deep-V design. It will have a top end speed of over 40 knots and its ride through the chop will…

Twenty two years ago, Italian Olympic sailor and yacht designer Luca Satella had a vision for starting a boat building enterprise that would break all the old molds and disrupt the conventions of European yachting. The result was Bluegame Yachts. In partnership with naval architect Lou Codega, Bluegame created a series of day boats, express cruisers and motor yachts that were unlike anything on the market and, in way, set the stage for the modern trends in European yacht design. The new BG 64 that was launched this year carries all the DNA that has set Bluegame apart from the…

Yacht designer Doug Zurn and his team over the last 30 years have designed some of the most iconic power boats, express cruisers and motor yachts on the market. One of their key partnerships is with the venerable builder Hinckley Yachts of Portsmouth, Rhode Island which announced recently that they are introducing the new Zurn-designed Hinckely 41. The new boat follows on the successful launch in 2025 of the Hinckley 39, the company’s first family day boat and weekender with a forward cockpit. The 39 was an immediate hit and Hinckley took 25 orders before the first boat was launched.…

Maine boat builder Lyman-Morse announced this week that hull number one of their new Chris Hood-designed cruisers has been launched and sea trialed. The 42 LM joins the 44 and 46-foot sisters ships in the builder’s line of bespoke semi-custom yachts. In an era when power cruisers are becoming ever-more futuristic with angular lines, odd geometric hull glazing, folding cockpit bulkheads and giant swim platforms now called beach clubs, Hood and Lyman Morse are preserving the classic look of Maine-built boats. The new 42 evokes working lobster boats that have plied this coast for generations and have aways proven to…

British Pearl Yachts, which began making boats in Shakespeare’s home town of Stratford-on-Avon 1998, has replaced its popular 72 with an all new Bill Dixon designed 73. The new boat will have its coming out party Cannes’ Festival of Yachting in September. The new 73 is sleeker and more modern than the 72 and will have more get up and go. With twin Man 1,400-horespower engines, it will have a top speed near 35 knots and a fast cruising speed in the mid-20s. The design is notable for its dedication to water sports which is made possible by the huge…

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