Boat Reviews

We Test New Vicem 50 Classic in Newport

By George Day on September 22, 2021 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Last Monday, the day after the close of the successful Newport international Boat Show, I had the good luck to join professional captain Louis for a quick sea trial of the new Vicem 50 Classic. The dawn was clear and cool without a breath of wind brushing Newport Harbor. Louis fired up the twin Volvo IPS600 engines and with bow thruster and IPS pod drives engaged, he inched the 50 out of her tight slip at Bannister’s Wharf and drove her slowly into the fairway. As always on late summer mornings, Newport was filled with an amazing collection of sail…

Kadey-Krogen, Summit, Building New Cruisers

By Peter Janssen on September 21, 2021 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Kadey-Krogen and Summit Motoryachts, its new brand, just announced two new boats at the Newport show. Building on the reception to the Kadey-Krogen 50 Open, the company will introduce a new 60 Open, with the same living concept joining the salon and galley area with the pilothouse. And Summit will launch a new 54 Coupe (see rendering, above) to add on to the 54 Motoryacht it just displayed in Newport. Kadey-Krogen has a rich history, having built more than 600 cruising yachts in the past 44 years in its yard in Taiwan. Full-displacement, blue-water trawlers, they have earned a reputation…

Hylas Building New 49 Motoryacht for U.S. Owner

By Peter Janssen on September 19, 2021 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Hylas Yachts, which makes high-end cruisers at the Queen Long yard in Taiwan, just delivered a new M44 motoryacht to an American owner in the Chesapeake and is finishing up a new M49 motoryacht for another American owner on Lake Michigan. Andy Huang, the Hylas CEO, said the M44 “has been an evergreen model for Hylas, with good levels of interest shown across the boating world.” Hylas has sold ten M44s since it started the model in 2015. The new M49 is a larger version of the M44, with more room in the cockpit and in the accommodations area below.…

Zeelander Announces Details of New 48-Footer

By Peter Janssen on September 14, 2021 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Zeelander, the Dutch builder of distinctive luxury yachts, just announced details of its new 48-foot Zeelander 5 at the Cannes Yachting Festival. The new yacht, available with three Volvo IPS650 pod drives, will have a top speed of 45 knots. It will be launched next year at the company’s yard in Groot-Ammers, just east of Rotterdam. The Zeelander 5 carries all the lines and amenities that have marked the brand, particularly its gracious curves and generous tumblehome leading to a large sun lounge and swim platform that fold out from the transom. The fit and finish, including elegant woods and…

Blue Game Launches Creative New 72 at Cannes

By Peter Janssen on September 13, 2021 Boat Reviews, Cruising Life

Blue Game just unveiled its hard-to-define new 72 at the Cannes Yachting Festival, where the aggressively styled cruiser with an aft deck that seems to go on forever caught a lot of attention. An Italian builder, Blue Game is a brand of San Lorenzo yachts, and it specializes in non-traditional styling that defies the usual yacht categories. Indeed, the company says the new 72 “is the perfect expression of its cross-over soul that escapes from belonging to a single segment.” The interiors can be customized, but the standard power comes from twin 900-hp Volvo IPS1200 pod drives for easy maneuvering…

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…

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