Boat Reviews

OTAM Redesigns 58 GTS for Cannes Launch

By Peter Janssen on July 19, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The new, fast and sporty OTAM 58 GTS will make its world debut at the Cannes Yachting Festival, starting Sept 6. The new OTAM, named Bad Boy, is powered by twin 1,825-hp MTU diesels with Arneson surface drives and massive Rolla props; it tops out at more than 55 knots. Bad Boy is actually the 26th hull of OTAM’s 58 series, but it’s been redesigned to take its Gran Turismo Sport legend up a notch. OTAM often builds larger yachts at its yard near Genoa, and it can customize the 58 for each owner’s desires. OTAM worked with Giuseppe Bagnardi…

Hinckley Launches New Hybrid SilentJet

By Peter Janssen on July 19, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Hinckley just introduced its new SilentJet technology, a hybrid system it developed with Twin Disc that combines diesel and electric power. With the trademarked SilentJet system, you can cruise under electric power without any noise or diesel fumes at about 7 knots, or you can seamlessly transition to diesel power and cruise at 35 knots. Hinckley introduced the new system on its Picnic Boat 40 S, the only boat available with SilentJet so far. It’s not that Hinckley’s were exactly noisy to start with. Indeed, Hinckleys are among the most solid, well-built and exquisite boats made in the United States, and…

Azimut Building New Magellano 66

By Peter Janssen on July 18, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Azimut is building a new Magellano 66 cruiser with an updated version of the line’s Dual Mode hull that’s designed to be more fuel-efficient than ever while also reducing carbon emissions. The 66 is the latest in Azimut’s long-range cruising Magellano fleet, that now includes a 43, a 25 Metri (82’) and the flagship 30 Metri (97’ 6”). Azimut started the Magellano series in 2009 at its plant in Viareggio, Italy. The new 66 comes with three or four staterooms, plus a two-person crew quarters. It has three heads plus one for the crew. Power comes from twin 850-hp MAN…

Williams Launches Tender with SOLAS Option

By Peter Janssen on July 18, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Williams Jet Tenders will launch its new 16-foot Dieseljet 505 with an optional SOLAS certification at the Monaco Yacht Show, starting Sept. 28. The new luxury RIB has been modified to meet all the stringent requirements of SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea). SOLAS-certified tenders are considered the gold standard in rescue vessels, and they’re a legal requirement for yachts over 500GT. The new Williams Dieseljet with the SOLAS option is capable of towing life rafts, serving as a man-overboard recovery boat or functioning in many other emergency situations. Matthew Hornsby, the commercial director for Williams Jet Tenders, says, “Not…

Wally Building WHY150 Space Ship

By Peter Janssen on July 11, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Wally just announced that it’s making a new Wally WHY150 yacht, the second in its WHY series, designed for extra space and comfort on board. The first WHY, the 200, at 88 feet, was launched in September. The latest 150, at 78 feet, is scheduled to be launched in February. The WHY stands for Wally Hybrid Yacht, but the hybrid part doesn’t refer to propulsion. Instead, it means a hybrid hull built for both displacement and semi-displacement cruising. But what really sets the WHY series apart is the massive space inside the yacht. The new 150 has a high bow…

Invictus Making New GT320S Outboard

By Peter Janssen on July 5, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Invictus Yachts just announced that it will debut its new GT320S twin-outboard cruiser at the Cannes Yachting Festival, starting Sept. 6. Standard power on this latest Invictus comes from twin 300-hp Yamaha outboards, but the boat can support outboards up to a total of 900 hp. The GT320S is the Italian builder’s fourth outboard boat, reflecting the growing popularity of outboard propulsion. “The outboard configuration strongly expresses and states the character and soul of the owner who chooses it,” said Christian Grande, who has designed everything from luxury cars to superyachts and is Invictus’ principal designer. The interior of the…

New Sustainable Electric Elegance 38

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

The slender, Italian-styled and silent Electric Elegance 38 is a new entry in the sustainable boating field, and it certainly has the classic looks that should turn heads in the Med or anywhere else it chooses to go. The Electric Elegance 38 is relatively light in weight, with a carbon-fiber hull weighing less than 12,000 pounds, and it has twin shafts driven by two 300kW motors. New owners can choose among three battery packs, delivering 300kWh, 350kWh, or 450kWh. The idea behind the Electric Elegance is to combine clean, modern lines that will never go out of style with a…

Horizon Unveils New 68 Power Cat

By Peter Janssen on July 2, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Horizon Power Catamarans just unveiled plans for a new Horizon PC68, a four-stateroom, four-head cruiser with an open salon, an innovative Portuguese bridge deck, and various options for its massive flybridge up top. Horizon says it’s celebrating a record-breaking year, reaching a milestone of 50 boats sold. The 68 will be the newest of the company’s range of power cats that now has a PC52, PC60 and a flagship PC74. Horizon is offering buyers several options for the PC68, all taking advantage of the big cat’s 24’ 6” beam. Up top, the company offers an option of an open bridge…

New Sirena 78: Lots of Choices

By Peter Janssen on June 30, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Sirena Yachts just announced that it’s building a new 78 cruiser with the Turkish builder’s elegant, modern-European lines and a lot of options for a new owner. The 78 will debut at the Cannes Yachting Festival in September. The new 78 is designed to be run by an owner-operator or by a crew. It’s in the middle of the Sirena lineup that already has a 58, 66, and 88. And it has Sirena’s plumb bow, a long, low hardtop over the flybridge and an aft deck that’s protected by the overhang from the boat deck above. It also has the…

XO Boats Unveils Rugged New DFNDR 8

By Peter Janssen on June 28, 2022 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

XO Boats, the relatively new builder in Finland, just announced that it’s starting work on a 26-foot DFNDR 8 go-anywhere, all-purpose boat that will top out at 50 knots with twin outboards. The new DFNDR 8, like other XO boats, has a rugged aluminum deep-V hull with a 23-degree deadrise at the transom. XO says it uses military-grade aluminum because it’s sturdy, sustainable, and easy to maintain. The DFNDR 8 is designed for owners who want to be able to go out in less-than-ideal conditions, and it will be fun to drive. Indeed, Erkki Talvela, the CEO of XO Boats,…

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