One of my first stops at the Ft. Lauderdale International Boat show last week was the Palm Beach in-the-water display to see the new and much anticipated Palm Beach 70. The Australian builder of fine Downeast-style cruising boats had made a splash earlier in the year when the company became an official sponsor of the Newport-to-Bermuda Race, all sailboats, and was first to arrive in Bermuda. The 70 needed only 36 hours to cover the 636-mile course. CEO and Chief Designer Mark Richards noted before the race: “I’m very proud to have Palm Beach Motor Yachts sponsoring this prestigious race.…

In 2020, the French company JetCycle introduced their innovative and patented water toy of the same name. The original JetCycle is a recumbent, pedal-powered foiling boat that, with spirited pedaling, will rise up onto its foils and then soar over the waves at up to 20 knots, as long as your legs last. It’s a fun idea and at about $10,000 apiece it quickly found a market in Europe among outdoor enthusiasts, cyclists and energetic youngsters. The company now runs JetCycle family-oriented events with races and point to point rallies.  And, they have recruited a team of ambassadors who help…

Hylas Yachts, which builds finely designed and crafted sail and power yachts at their Queen Long yard in Taiwan, has a hard-earned reputation for delivering sensible, conservative powerboats that are first and foremost good sea boats. Their powerboat line, designed by the New Zealand-based firm Salthouse, has roots deep in workboat traditions with sea-kindly hulls, flared bows and deep cockpits. The new 47, with twin outboards, is the first to have outboards and also the first to run with diesel-powered engines. The move to alternative propulsion was driven by a need to deliver  more sustainable boats to customers who are…

The British yacht builder Pearl Yachts introduced their brand-new 82 at the Cannes boat show in September and the Bill Dixon design earned top honors for “Best Interior Design” for yachts in its size category. That’s not surprising. Pearl, which began building yachts in 1998, is a boutique builder of highly refined mini-super yachts from 62 to 95 feet. They maintain limited production because they want to focus their attention on quality instead of quantity. The results are reliably stunning. The new 82 has the brand’s aggressive lines and modern styling with a racy speed-boat bow and sharply angled glazing…

The Finnish boat builder Saxdor introduced their new 34-foot this year to acclaim. The boat was awarded a Finish Design Innovation Award and it has been nominated for the prestigious European Power Boat of the Year Award. But such elevated status should not be too much of surprise given the company’s pedigree. Saxdor was founded by Sakari Mattila who was also a founder of  Aquador, Paragon, XO Boats and the incredibly successful Axopar. The. new boats Mattila is building in Finland and Poland are brimming over with high-tech, high-speed powerboat DNA. The new 34 GTWA is one of the few…

Back Cove Yachts, the venerable Maine builder of classic-looking Downeast-style cruisers announced at the Newport Intrnatijonal Boat Show in September that they were reintroducing the Back Cove 41 with many upgrades and new features. The 41 is the builder’s flagship and has proven to be extremely popular worldwide. The new version has so many new features that Back Cove has given it a new name, the 412. Because the boat’s essential design features work so well, in the 412 the hull, deck and accommodation plan remain the same in the 41.  But Back Cove has added a full height door…

Maritimo will be bringing the new M55 Black Edition to the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show later this month and the new boat has been upgraded with truly enhanced living spaces. The changes to the design, already a popular model for the Australian builder, begin with the spacious cockpit that connects via sliding doors to the aft galley in the salon. A new wider transom island has been added between the cockpit and the swim platform that creates a better social area and enlarges the barbeque grill and counter. The cockpit’s dinette/lounge now faces forward and socially links the cockpit…

The successful Turkish builder Sirena yachts has gained a huge worldwide following in the last decade with their distinctive angular designs, plumb bows and creatively planned living spaces. The original 48 Flybridge is a large part of the company’s success. This fall, Sirena launched their new 49 Coupe Hybrid, based on ther first 48’s hull design,with a flat-top coupe roof, wrap around salon windows end even more salon and cockpit living space. The company has made a commitment to “eco-friendly propulsion” and developed a true hybrid system with twin 213kW E-Motion motors, a 39.1 kWh lithium battery pack and twin…

Now and then when we attend boat shows in Europe and the US, as we do many times every year, we come across new boats that catch our eye. The Norwegian builder Marex is just such a brand and their 440 Gourmet Cruiser Sport Coupe and the smaller models in their line offer cruising couples and families classy alternatives to others in the midrange, sport coupe fleet. The new flag ship of the Marex line is the new 440 Gourmet sport coupe. A fast, family cruiser, the 440’s whole design concept is to link a family to the natural ocean…