Boat Reviews

Wellcraft Plans “Adventure Cruisers” with Outboards

By Peter Janssen on September 8, 2021 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Many years ago, when Bob Long was running the company, Wellcraft was a powerhouse. It made everything from Scarabs (think Don Johnson in Miami Vice) to cruising boats to fishing boats. It had a strong dealer network, and a worldwide presence. But times change, and Wellcraft’s fortunes waned. Then Groupe Beneteau bought the company in 2017, and now Wellcraft is poised for a resurgence. Indeed, Wellcraft just announced it will make a series of “adventure cruisers,” starting with a 35-foot Commuter driven by three outboards. It’s scheduled to be launched in the U.S. next spring. Wellcraft sees a trend for…

Cutwater Making New 28 Coupe with Twin Yamahas

By Peter Janssen on September 7, 2021 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Cutwater is making a new C-288 Coupe with twin 250-hp Yamaha outboards, a fully equipped pocket cruiser suitable for a couple or a small family. The boat has a 10-foot beam to maximize the cabin area for comfortable living on board and to give the boat stability, while still making it a trailerable vessel. The new 28 has a double-stepped, deep-V hull for performance and efficiency. It comes with a standard bow thruster and electric trim tabs to make maneuvering easy both around the docks and underway. Inside, the forward stateroom has seating around a table that drops down to…

Sunreef Launches All-New 70 Power Cat

By Peter Janssen on September 7, 2021 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Sunreef Yachts just launched their new 70 Sunreef Power, which fills the obvious hole between the Sunreef 60 and the Sunreef 80. Like its siblings, the 70, all-new for the 2022 model year, is a luxury catamaran that can be highly customized for each owner. The 70 Sunreef Power, built in Gdansk, Poland, can hold up to 12 people in five staterooms and crew quarters; the galley can be ordered up or down, depending on the owner’s desires. The new cat, with an LOA of 69’ 9,” has enormous social areas, inside and out. The foredeck alone spans the yacht’s…

Fountaine-Pajot Launches New 36-Foot Power Cat

By Peter Janssen on August 31, 2021 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Fountaine-Pajot just launched its first MY4.S power catamaran. It will show the sporty looking cat, with a knife-like entry, low profile and lounging spaces all around, at the Cannes Yachting Festival starting Sept. 7, before bringing it to the U.S. At 36-feet, the MY4.S is the French builder’s new entry-level cat, replacing the popular 37; it has sold about 100 37s since it launched the model five years ago. The MY4.S is aimed at a younger buyer as well as at longer-range cruisers. Powered by twin 150-hp Yanmars, the new cat cruises at 16 knots, tops out at 22 knots,…

Sunseeker Manhattan 55 To Debut at FLIBS

By Peter Janssen on August 29, 2021 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The new, aggressively styled Sunseeker Manhattan 55 will make its U.S. debut at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, starting Oct. 27. The British builder also will show its new 65 Sport Yacht there. They will be presented by Sunseeker’s U.S. distributor, OneWater Yacht Group of Fort Lauderdale. A luxury performance cruiser, the Manhattan 55 is marked by windows in all sizes and shapes in the hull and salon, with stainless-steel details, adding to its dynamic look. It’s designed as a comfortable family cruiser, with three cabins and two heads below, a beach club aft, a large open-plan salon, and…

Leopard Building New 46 Powercat

By Peter Janssen on August 26, 2021 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Leopard Catamarans just announced that they are building a Leopard 46 Powercat, modeled after the award-winning Leopard 53 PC. The latest in the South African company’s new generation of power yachts, the 46 PC will splash in Cape Town this fall and then have its world premiere at the Miami boat show in February. Built for comfort and performance, the Leopard 46 is a stand-alone design. It is not a spinoff of an existing sailboat catamaran. “We have managed to give the Leopard 46 PC a character of its own,” says Anthony Key, the company’s chief designer. “It stands proudly…

Best-Selling BRIG RIBS Still Available in US

By Peter Janssen on August 25, 2021 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Despite Covid-related disruptions in supply chains and disappearing or already depleted inventories of boats around the world, some dealers still have some types of boats on hand. Northstar Yacht Sales in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, for example, has some high-quality BRIG RIBs for sale, and is expecting more in November. BRIGs are well known in other parts of the world. Indeed, the company says they are the largest producer of RIBs in Europe, and the biggest-selling brand in Australia, Sweden, Holland, Finland and the UK. BRIG made more than 2,500 boats in 2019, before the pandemic. They are made in Ukraine…

New Beneteau Antares 11 Flybridge: An Outboard Flagship

By Peter Janssen on August 18, 2021 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The flagship of Beneteau’s outboard-powered Antares fleet, the new Antares 11 Flybridge is a family cruiser designed for comfort and easy times on the water. It follows the success of a coupe version of the Antares 11, and offers more space up top with the flybridge. The Antares 11 Flybridge is powered by twin 300-hp Mercury four-stroke outboards, which give it a 40-knot top speed. That’s certainly a more than respectable top end, but this boat isn’t meant to be a speedster. You also can order it with twin 250-hp outboards for family cruising. The flybridge blends into the boat’s…

Cormorant Building Long-Range Cruisers in Poland

By Peter Janssen on August 16, 2021 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

A new player on the extended voyaging scene, Cormorant Yachts in Gdansk, Poland, is working on two new cruisers, a 55 and a 69, designed for owners who want to spend weeks at sea while enjoying the comforts of home. The semi-displacement yachts are called the COR555/690, the numbers indicating the length. The Cormorant 69 is basically an elongated 55, although Cormorant emphasizes that it can heavily customize any of its boats. The Cormorant fleet goes up to 88 feet. Cormorant has its own yard with skilled craftsmen in the Port of Gdansk, so it can control a high quality…

Maritimo Building New M60 Flybridge Blue-Water Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on August 16, 2021 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Maritimo, the highly regarded Australian builder, just announced that they’re planning an M60 Flybridge Motor Yacht that will be launched early next year. The luxurious new M60 Flybridge Motor Yacht is the latest iteration of the company’s first motor yacht, the Maritimo 60, launched in 2004. It was then selected as Cruiser of the Year and Australian Boat of the Year. “It has since gone on to earn a reputation as a standout blue-water cruiser with diehard following,” said Tom Barry-Cotter, Maritimo’s design director. The new M60 Flybridge Motor Yacht provides luxurious living on board with the company’s fabled blue-water…

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