Boat Reviews

Vicem Building New 50 IPS Classic

By Peter Janssen on December 13, 2020 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Vicem Yachts just announced that they are building a new 50 IPS Classic, based on the success of the 46 that was introduced in 2017. The Turkish builder plans to have the new 50 in the U.S. by this spring. The new 50, like the 46, will be laid up with infused-fiberglass composite to reduce build time. Vicem has earned a world-wide reputation for building cold-molded mahogany boats, up to 92 feet. The 50 clearly fits in to Vicem’s Classic series, with its Down East looks, low profile, long sheerline and gentle tumblehome. When Vicem started the Classic series in…

Formula Building New 50-Foot Flagship with 5 Outboards

By Peter Janssen on December 8, 2020 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Formula just announced that it’s building a new 500 Super Sport Crossover flagship that will be launched early next year. The boat is meant to be an all-purpose boat, ready for everything from day boating to longer cruising. Standard power comes from five 400-hp Mercury outboards, but if you want to work up even greater adrenaline rush, you can opt for five 450-hp Mercury Racing outboards. The new Formula is designed by John Adams, who’s been working with Formula for many years. Like all of his boats, the new 50-footer has a highly polished painted hull, and owners can choose…

Maritimo Building New S55 Offshore Sports Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on December 7, 2020 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Maritimo, the highly respected Australian builder, just announced that it is building a new S55 offshore sports sedan that will be ready next year. The new low-profile sedan is designed for long-range adventures and offshore cruising. The new S55 has a contemporary open plan, with a light-filled salon, galley aft, large cockpit for entertaining, and three staterooms with two heads below. It also has a unique expanded hardtop that goes all the way aft over the cockpit and is meant to be used as a utility space for toys or watercraft. You reach it via a ladder from the cockpit…

Beneteau Planning New Gran Turismo 41 Express Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on December 6, 2020 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Beneteau is working on a new Gran Turismo 41 express cruiser, an upgrade of the Gran Turismo 40 that it introduced in 2016. The 40 was not only popular, but it also was named European Powerboat of the Year. The new 41 is more powerful than the 40, and is designed with more entertaining and lounging spaces. It has two cabins and one head below; there also is a lower lounge and a full galley there. But the 41 also will have an upper, outdoor galley on the port side of the cockpit, with a sink, fridge, electric grill and…

New Princess V78: Light-Filled Luxury Cruiser

By Peter Janssen on December 2, 2020 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Princess Yachts has launched its new V78, a contemporary, light-filled family express cruiser that’s designed for an owner-operator and reaches speeds in the mid-30-knot range powered by twin 1,900-hp MAN diesels. The flagship of Princess’ V series of yachts, the new 78 has four staterooms, all with en suite heads, on its lower accommodations deck. The full-beam, midships master is reached by a private staircase from the salon. The salon is filled with natural light all around. The side windows are almost four feet high, and the electric sun roof opens far enough to expose about half the main deck.…

Silent Yachts Building New Solar/Electric Cat with VW

By Peter Janssen on November 29, 2020 Boat Reviews

Silent Yachts just announced that is working with Volkswagen to develop a new solar/electric catamaran with the electric power coming from VW’s modular electric drive matrix. The still-unnamed cat is being designed by Cupra, a high-performance brand of the Spanish car manufacturer Seat, which is owned by Volkswagen. The new cat will run on Silent’s own photovoltaic system, with the propulsion based on VW’s electric drive system. VW originally designed that system to deliver power from a bank of batteries integrated into a car’s chassis to the car’s rear axle, and later to all four wheels. VW subsequently made the…

Okean Launches Prize-Winning 80 With Open Layout

By Peter Janssen on November 18, 2020 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

The new Okean 80 Flybridge gives a whole new meaning to an open layout. Made in Brazil, the new cruiser won the Revelation of the Year Award at the 2020 World Yachts Trophies ceremony in Cannes in September. The flagship of the Okean fleet (there’s also a 50 and a 55), the new 80 delivers on Okean’s signature “Open Up Your World” theme. Indeed, it features a seamless transition between the interior and exterior spaces in the salon, where the hull sides drop down to form balconies and the side doors open wide to let in the sea breezes. The…

Jeanneau Launches All-New NC 795 Weekender

By Peter Janssen on November 18, 2020 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Jeanneau has just launched its NC 795 Series 2 weekender, an all-new version of the best-selling NC 795 (more than 1,000 built so far). Among other things, the NC (for New Concept) 795 Series 2 has a new, 26′ 8″ hull, and it can be powered by a 250-hp Yamaha outboard. The new Jeanneau is built as an all-around coastal cruiser, with a V-berth forward that can sleep two, and a convertible dinette that can sleep two more. The protected helm deck is filled with natural light with windows all around and a sliding glass door aft that leads to…

Silent Yachts Expands with New Battery Power. See Video

By Peter Janssen on November 17, 2020 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Silent Yachts, the innovative Austrian builder, is on a roll. Silent sold its first solar-powered catamaran just two years ago. Now it just ordered 500 lithium-ion battery packs to power the 15 catamarans it has orders for next year, and it’s opened new plants in Thailand and Fano, Italy. The state-of-the-art battery packs add up to 2.5 megawatts; their energy storage is equal to that of 25 new Teslas, or enough to run three U.S. homes for a month. The lithium-ion chemistry comes from MG Energy, a Dutch company started by two winners of the Monaco Solar & Energy Boat…

Brabus Shadow 500: Head-Turning Looks and Fun

By Peter Janssen on November 16, 2020 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

If you want to add a little juice to your life in these trying times, try the Brabus Shadow 500, built in conjunction with Axopar Boats. It’s a tricked out, semi-custom version of the Axopar 28, and it hits 50 knots with twin 250-hp Mercury outboards. You can order it with an open deck or optional aft cabin. Fun, as in a major adrenaline rush, is standard equipment. The fun comes from Axopar’s twin-stepped hull with a sharp entry and 22-degree deadrise at the transom, all driven by two Mercury V8 Pro XS outboards. The lightweight Mercs produce head-snapping torque;…

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