Boat Reviews

New Fast Vespro from New Italian Yard

By Peter Janssen on September 19, 2023 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Centouno Navi, a new Italian yard, just launched its first boat, a 56-knot luxury cruiser named Vespro, at the Cannes Yachting Festival. The new 54-foot Vespro, powered by two 1,200-hp MAN V8 diesels and jet drives, is more than fast; it’s also efficient, delivering a remarkable range of 350 nm at its top speed. Designed with an emphasis on Italian style and aesthetics, the new Vespro serves as a fast day boat or weekender. The yard says the name translates into “dusk” or ‘twilight” in English, giving the Vespro something of a romantic theme. The exterior is designed to connect…

Brunswick Launches New NAVAN Line

By Peter Janssen on September 19, 2023 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Brunswick just unveiled a brand new line of NAVAN “luxury adventure” boats at the Cannes Yachting Festival. The NAVAN C30 (cabin) and NAVAN S30 (open bow and cuddy) will make their U.S. debuts at the Miami show in February. One of the giants in the worldwide boating marketplace, Brunswick already makes 18 different boat lines, including Sea Ray, Boston Whaler and Bayliner. But none of them look like the new NAVAN. If you think the NAVAN looks like an Axopar, Saxdor or Nimbus, you’re right. And that’s the point. Those Scandinavian models have become increasingly popular in the past few…

New SeaPiper 35: Lots of Character

By Peter Janssen on September 18, 2023 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The new SeaPiper 35 is an honest boat. It’s not a floating condo; it doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles; it wouldn’t particularly feel at home at a luxury resort/marina. With the SeaPiper 35 what you see is what you get. It’s a straightforward, easy-to-use, easy-to-maintain, 7.5-knot workboat-look-alike that’s trailerable; it can carry you around the Great Loop, down the ICW or up to the San Juans and Canadian Gulf Islands safely and comfortably. It doesn’t look like every other boat in the harbor; it has character. The SeaPiper was originally designed by Ritzo Muntinga, an electronics engineer…

Safehaven Building “Extreme Explorer” Yacht

By Peter Janssen on September 18, 2023 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Safehaven Marine in Cork, Ireland, just announced that they’re building a new “extreme explorer” high-speed catamaran with a hydrofoil and ocean-crossing range. Safehaven says the new T-2000 Voyager is its most extreme recreational boat ever, and is designed to be the ultimate explorer yacht. Powered by twin 1,550-hp MAN V12 engines, the T-2000 Voyager will have a top speed of more than 50 knots. The 65’ 7” boat carries 2,900 gallons of fuel, giving it a range of 1,700 nm at 16 knots, and 3,000 nm at 9-10 knots, according to the builder, all with a safe reserve of fuel.…

Latest CLB72 Makes Newport Debut

By Peter Janssen on September 11, 2023 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

CL Yachts is showing its latest CLB72 cruiser at the Newport Show. With twin 1,000-hp Volvo IPS1350 pod drives, the four-stateroom, three-head yacht tops out at 31 knots, a more-than-respectable speed for a luxury motoryacht. The CLB72 has smooth lines and a sophisticated interior; the idea is to convey simple elegance. There are many social areas inside and out, ranging from al fresco dining on the aft deck to relaxing on lounges on the foredeck. CL says the flybridge on the 72 is one of the largest in its class; it houses the upper helm, lots of seating and a…

American Tug Displays 395 in Newport

By Peter Janssen on September 11, 2023 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

American Tug is displaying its 395 Esmeralde at the Newport show this week, the first show since the Kadey-Krogen Group bought American Tug in May. The 395 is one of American Tug’s most popular models, available in a one- or two-cabin configuration with one head. Standard power is a single 380-hp Cummins diesel, producing a top speed of about 14 knots and a range of about 1,000 nm at a displacement speed of about 7.5 knots. An optional 550-hp Cummins boosts the top speed to more than 18 knots. Based in LaConner, Washington, just above Seattle, American Tug was started…

Solara Launches New 310 Sport Coupe in Newport

By Peter Janssen on September 10, 2023 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Solara is making a big splash with its new S-310 Sport Coupe, displaying it this week at the Newport show and then next month at both the Annapolis and Fort Lauderdale shows The S-310 Sport Coupe is the newest model from Solara Boats, a company that was started just last year by Fluid Motion, the Kent, Washington, builder that makes Ranger Tugs and Cutwater Boats. “Solara is our new luxury adventure line of boats that are fast, fun, and ready for action,” John Livingston, the president of Solara (and Fluid Motion), said at the time. The new 310 Sport Coupe…

New Rio Daytona 50: Style and Performance

By Peter Janssen on September 9, 2023 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

It’s no surprise that with the Italian-built Rio Daytona 50, style is important. That’s why the three 450-hp Mercury Racing outboards are hidden aft; Rio didn’t want the outboards to interrupt the graceful lines of the hull. But not to worry. Push a button and the engine compartment lifts up so you can access them any time you want. The new 50 is at the top of Rio’s Daytona lineup; there’s also a 34 and a 46. Rio itself was started in Lombardy in 1961, making mahogany motorboats. It launched the Daytona line with the 34 at the Genoa show…

New Rossinavi with Artificial Intelligence

By Peter Janssen on September 6, 2023 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

This was bound to happen. Artificial intelligence now is taking to the water, theoretically helping a new luxury yacht cruise more efficiently under electric power, while also keeping tabs (in not quite defined ways) on the crew to make sure they are embracing the new green technology to the full. All this is built into a new 164-foot Rossinavi hybrid named No Stress that was launched last spring and delivered to its owner last week. It’s the first in the Italian builder’s Blue line of hybrid yachts. No Stress has sleek, super-modern lines and an aluminum fast-displacement hull that has…

Lancia Aprea 52 To Debut in Cannes

By Peter Janssen on September 5, 2023 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The historic Cantieri Aprea builders in Sorrento, Italy, will unveil their all-new Lancia Aprea at the Cannes Yachting Festival, starting Sept. 12. With its elegant, classic lines, the new 52-foot Lancia Aprea is bound to get a lot of attention there and in the U.S. later on with a special outboard version. The Lancia Aprea line is the latest generation of boats from the Cantieri Aprea builders who date to the 1890s. They started with fishing boats and gained fame in the 1950s by building boats for movie stars who wanted to cruise between Sorrento and Capri. The company says…

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