Friday, April 19

Browsing: Boat Reviews

Ever since Luca Bassani launched the first Wally in 1994, Wallys have been bigger, bolder and cleaner than other boats. You know a Wally when you see one. I first visited the Wally offices in Monaco about 20 years ago to check out the new boats. The Wow Factor was off the charts. Wally is now owned by the Ferretti Group, and they just unveiled the latest Wally, a 69-foot wallywhy100, and Wally is still pushing the design envelope. The “why” in the wallywhy line stands for “Wally Hybrid Yacht,” one that combines the advantages of both planing and displacement…

The Brooklin Boat Yard in Maine just announced that they’re building two new Wheeler 55 yachts, bringing back the models that became icons in the 1930s. The yard launched its first version of a Wheeler in 2021. That boat was a Wheeler 38, named Legend. It was a modern version of the Wheeler that Ernest Hemingway commissioned in 1934 and named Pilar, one of the most famous boats of all time. “The Wheeler 55 is an exciting step into the world of Spirit of Tradition boatbuilding in a large, modern, power cruiser,” said Eric Blake, the project director at Brooklin. “There…

The new 77-foot Evo Yachts V8 is a head-turning, three-stateroom cruiser jammed full of fresh ideas. Some of them, it seems, work better than others. Flagship of the Evo fleet, the V8 is the brainchild of Valerio Rivellini, a young designer working with the Naples-based builder. He says he wanted to inject some innovative thinking into the power cruising world. Starting aft, bulwarks fold out from both sides of the aft deck to create extra social space; no surprises there. But open a hatch on the port side of the teak deck, and you’ll find a tender; open a matching…

Sunseeker, the upscale British builder, will hold the world debut for its two new cruising boats, the Superhawk 55 and the 75 Sport Yacht, at the big Düsseldorf show, starting Jan. 21. Andrea Frabetti, the CEO of Sunseeker International, said the two new models “will be the crown jewel of our impressive lineup of stunning yachts.” With its low profile and aggressive lines, the Superhawk 55 (pictured at top) is the first new Superhawk that Sunseeker has launched since 2008, and is the latest in its Performance range. Powered by twin 725-hp Volvo IPS950 pod drives, it offers a combination…

Nouvoyage, the Boston-based designer of luxury amphibious limousines, is moving up. Until now, Nouvoyage has concentrated on selling its Limousine Tender 33 to the superyacht market. Now, it’s aiming larger craft at the cruise line industry. The company says its 45-foot “shadow tenders,” complete with leather seats, galley, head, A/C, heat, retractable sun roof and gull-wing doors, can follow (shadow) liners to take passengers to shore and back. They also could fit into a ship’s garage and be launched from an articulating beach deck. Passengers could board the tender while still in the garage, and then arrive at the shore…

The new Boarncruiser 50 Traveller will make its public debut at the big Düsseldorf show, starting Jan. 21. The boat, named Daddy Cool, was launched in the Netherlands in November, and the owners plan to cruise it to the Med in the spring. The yard describes the semi-custom, steel-hulled 50 Traveller, the newest addition to the Boarncruiser fleet, as “a pocket-size mega-yacht with a beautiful round-bilge, covered-gangways and modern wings emphasizing a Mediterranean atmosphere.” The yacht has three staterooms below with a mid-ships master accessed via a private spiral staircase from the salon. The VIP cabin forward has its own…

The easy handling Beneteau Swift Trawler 41 is designed as a comfortable family cruiser with three staterooms, two heads, a proven hull, and a 23-knot top speed to get you home in a hurry. The 41 is in the middle of the French builder’s Swift Trawler line, which runs from 37 to 48 feet. It was introduced about three years ago and has become a popular model. The size makes it large enough for extended cruising for a family, while it’s still small enough to fit into slips along the way and for a couple to run it comfortably. It…

Jeanneau, the prestigious French builder, just announced that it will expand its new Day Boat line by unveiling a new DB37 at the big Düsseldorf show, starting Jan. 21. Just last March, Jeanneau introduced the Day Boat series with a striking, and well received, DB43. Paul Blanc, the executive director of Jeanneau, said, “We are happy to add a second opus to the DB yachts line, just a few months after the successful launch of the DB/43. With DB Yachts, we imagine the future of yachting.” The new DB37, like the DB43, represents fresh thinking for Jeanneau by Camillo Garroni,…

The new Absolute Navetta 58 will be on display at the big Miami show, starting Feb. 15. It’s in the middle of the Italian builder’s Navetta, or “little ship” line, and it’s a comfortable flybridge cruiser with Volvo IPS efficiency and power. The Navetta 58 has three cabins, all with en suite heads, below, plus a crew cabin with two berths and its own head accessed from the transom for privacy. A door leads from that cabin to the engine room, with two 600-hp Volvo IPS800 pod drives. The Navetta’s engine room is well laid out, with 5’ 8” of…

Arcadia Yachts just announced that it’s starting a new “A” series of motor yachts, ranging from 65 to 130 feet. The first model, now under construction, is the A96, a long-range cruiser with five staterooms and an unusual number of large, sliding transparent doors and windows to let in air and light and connect with the world outside. Ugo Pellegrino, the Arcadia CEO, said “The A96 is the first from a brand-new series of yachts that we’ll develop over the next few years.” Arcadia, an Italian builder known for its Sherpa line, says the new A96 is built around a…

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