Boat Reviews

Princess Launching X80 Superfly Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on January 12, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Princess is launching a new X80 Superfly luxury cruiser, the second in its Superfly series and modeled after the earlier X95 flagship that has been well received. The X80 has all the same lines as the 95, and it was designed by Princess, Olesinski Design and Peninfarina, creating a yacht with lots of volume inside and some innovations that make it stand out on its own. First is what Princess calls the “super flybridge” that it says provides 30 percent more space than that found on other yachts of its size. The yacht’s only helm station is up there, and…

Pardo Building GT52 Cruiser with Volvo IPS

By Peter Janssen on January 10, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Pardo, the two-year-old Italian builder, is on a roll. It introduced its new Endurance 60 cruising flagship last fall, and now its starting a GT52 that’s something like a combination of the 60 and the company’s earlier walkaround sport cruisers. The GT52 will use the same hull as the open Pardo 50, but with a longer swim platform. And the Volvo IPS650 pod drives have been shifted aft to free up more interior space in the middle of the boat. But the GT52 will still have Pardo’s trademark slightly reverse bow, its long flush foredeck and a forward-raked pilothouse. It…

Hynova Launching Hydrogen-Powered 42

By Peter Janssen on January 4, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Hynova, a French startup committed to building the first hydrogen-powered recreational motor boat, has come a very long way in a very short time. Chloé Zaied, an entrepreneurial, climate-conscious French yacht captain, founded the company in January, 2020. She drove the first demonstrator, the Hynova 40, around the harbor at the Cannes show in September. Now, Hynova is building the first of its production boats, the Hynova 42, in La Ciotat Shipyards near the Riviera in the south of France. The Hynova 42 will be 41’ 9” long with a 12’ 4” beam and a 16,000-pound displacement. It will be…

CL Yachts Launches New, Prize-Winning 96

By Peter Janssen on January 4, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

CL Yachts has just launched its innovative, prize-winning CLX96 in Hong Kong, and it’s meant to have the luxurious conveniences of a contemporary flybridge motoryacht with the offshore capabilities of an expedition yacht. The CLX96 is the first in the company‘s line of Sea Activity Vessels, with a larger-than-usual amount of interior volume for comfortable living. It also is the first yacht ever designed by Jozeph Forakis from Milan and New York. The yard said it turned to Forakis to bring a “rebel’s insight” into the 96’s lines, and he said he was inspired by the New York City loft…

Sunseeker Plans New Superhawk 55 Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on January 4, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Sunseeker just announced that it’s building a new Superhawk 55 luxury performance cruiser, the first Superhawk the British company has launched since 2009. The aggressively styled Superhawk 55 is built for sporty handling and blue-water performance, powered by twin 725-hp Volvo IPS950 pod drives. The new Superhawk has the long, low profile of its predecessors, with a wraparound curved windshield. The new centered helm station is flanked by two navigators’ seats. In a change from previous models, the lower deck houses a salon and galley amidships and two cabins fore and aft. The long hull-side windows providing light to the…

Spirit Building Retro 35 Foiler with Electric Power

By Peter Janssen on January 3, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Spirit Yachts is working with BAR Technologies in the UK to build a high-tech, electric-powered, foiling speedboat that’s modeled on an American Gold Cup racer from the 1920s. The new boat, called the Spirit 35 Foiler, will have an Alaskan yellow-cedar frame covered with carbon fiber, solid titanium retractable foilers, and African Sipo wood topsides. Sean McMillan, the CEO and chief designer of Spirit Yachts, says he drew the boat along the lines of the classic 30-foot Baby Bootlegger racer that was powered by a converted World War 1 type Hispano Suiza aircraft engine and won the Gold Cup in…

New Sea Ranger MMS 55: A Bulletproof Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on January 3, 2022 Boat Reviews, On Watch with Peter Janssen

Spoiler alert: Keep reading only if you’re interested in bulletproof expedition-type cruising boats made to tackle rough sea conditions anywhere in the world. The new Sea Ranger MMS 55, made by a commercial yard in northern England, isn’t meant to stay at the dock. I don’t know how many people it can hold for cocktails or a sunset cruise around the harbor. The Sea Ranger has a sturdy steel-plate hull; it weighs almost 60 tons. It comes with the looks and the performance of a North Sea trawler, with a high bow and decks lined with scuppers. Powered by twin…

Axopar Building New 45-Foot Flagship

By Peter Janssen on December 22, 2021 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Axopar, the highly successful and innovative builder from Finland, will introduce a new 45-foot flagship at the Düsseldorf show, starting Jan. 22. The new 45 shares the same DNA as earlier Axopars, with its angular lines, twin-stepped hull and fuel-efficient power-to-weight ratio. Powered by three 300-hp Mercury Verado outboards, the Axopar 45 will top out at more than 50 knots. It will have gullwing doors, similar to those on the Axopar 37, to make access to the salon easier, as well as side-opening platforms to extend the usable seating space. The forward cabin and its head and shower will have…

Windy Launches New Long-Range 60

By Peter Janssen on December 20, 2021 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Windy has just launched its new flagship, the SLR/SR 60, a chase boat or tender or luxury sport boat with long, low lines and a range of 850 nm at 25 knots. The new 60 was originally designed as a tender for a superyacht owner, and it has seats for 15 people. But Windy says the main deck can be configured so the boat also be used for fishing or diving or exploring far-flung coves and harbors on its own, far from the mothership. At 60 feet, the Windy SLR/SR is large enough to be used for just about anything…

All-Electric Q30 From Finland Coming to U.S.

By Peter Janssen on December 20, 2021 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The Q30 all-electric, minimalist and elegant day cruiser from Q Yachts in Finland will make its U.S. debut at the Palm Beach show in March. The Q30 is 30’ 7” long with a beam of 7’ 3” and it’s powered by twin Torqeedo 10kW sailpods and a Torqeedo 30-kWh lithium battery. It has a maximum range of 60 nm; at a cruising speed of 9 knots the range is 42 nm; at its top speed of 14 knots the range is 21 nm. An optional second battery can extend the range. The boat can be charged anywhere with a standard…

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