The Revolution Marine Group, based in Ft. Lauderdale, announced this week that they were launching a new 60-foot power catamaran that will be electric and solar powered.  This is a market segment long dominated by Silent Yachts, but it looks like the new Oceanwalker S60e, will give them a run for their watts. The S60e will be powered by twin 200-horsepower electric motors that will deliver a top speed of 12 knots and an economical cruising speed of 8 knots.  The motors will be powered by a sophisticated lithium-phosphate battery bank that not only will run the motors but will…

Around the country the various regions have developed over the generations yacht and boat designs with regional characteristics and builders who specialize in delivering boats of these types. We all know of Down East style yachts in the Hinckley-Sabre-Jarvis Newman style, designs that are famous around the world. But there are also the trawler and tug styles that are popular in the Pacific Northwest and the modern express cruiser designs in the Midwest and Great Lakes. One regional style that may be less well known comes from the Chesapeake Bay and is based on the local working craft that evolved…

On May 31, Sessa Marine, a venerable Italian boatbuilder, launched the all new F48 Flybridge in Europe. The F48 had its initial debut at the boat show in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil this winter and at the Miami International show in Florida. In both events, the 48 drew much attention and the plaudits of dealers, customers and the press. The 48 is a truly Italian-style express cruiser with a large flybridge that has a T-top and a spacious L-shaped settee. The forward inclined windscreen gives the bridge a purposeful look and deflects both wind and spray when running at speed.…

This spring the German motorboat innovators at Fjord Yachts have introduced an outboard version of their two-cabin 490. With three 600-horsepower Mercurys on the stern, the Sport will have a top end speed over 40 knots. Fjord was an early adopter of the modernistic Euro designs, with slab sies, straight sheers and efficient stepped hull configurations. Axopar and many others were part of this trend. Ther 490 Sport is a walk-around design with a large sunbed forward, another large sun bed aft and hydraulic terraces on both sides of the cockpit that fold down to provide more deck space, The…

Combining support vessel utility with super yacht elegance and finish, Outer Reef this month introduced the first new design in their Crossover series.  As part of the new Adventure Sport Vessel line (ASV), the 27-meter (88-foot) yacht is capable if fulfilling several different roles her owners. For adventurous owners who plan to explore the far corners of the world, the 27 Crossover has all the brawn and the range they need.  At eco-cruising speed, the boat will have a range of 3,000 miles. Plus, with a large boat deck and crane and a small boat deck on the cabin top,…

Level Yachts, a new Spanish boat builder, launched their first model, the 43 sT, and the new company at the Cannes Festival of Yachting in the south of France last September.  Both were warmly received by industry professionals and the international audience of boat owners. But, Level many be a new brand on the mid-range family cruiser market, its founders are not. Veteran yacht dealers and brokers, the partners between them have sold more than 2,000 new boats in the last 20 years.  The company and the 43 ST may be new but the first model is based on long…

The New Saxdor 40 GTC was introduced to the North American market last fall and is the Finnish builder’s flagship. A two-cabin, outboard express cruiser, the new boat packs a lot of amenities inside a relatively small envelope. The Saxdor company was founded by Sakari Matilla, a prolific boat-building entrepreneur, who also founded Axopar, Aquador, Paragon and XO Boats. While based in Finland, Saxdor builds most of their boats at their factory in Poland, a country that has become a boat building mecca. As of 2024, the company had grown to 600 employees. It has over 100 dealers in 50…

This year, Williams, the British builder of inflatable, jet-drive dinghies and sport boats, is celebrating 20 years in business. Over those two decades, Williams had become synonymous with high-tech, high-performance boats that are the class of the dinghy and tender market. The brand is so popular, builders of new boats often design dinghy garages and stern lifting planforms specifically for the Williams dinghy that will go with the new boats. To celebrate the anniversary, Wiliams is introducing three new models: the SportJet 460 and 520 and the DieselJet 625. The 460, at 15 feet is a suitable size tender for…