New Model: Viking 75 Motor Yacht

It was an important Summer in New Jersey at the Viking factory first for celebrating its first important half a century, second for presenting a new model line up for this fall which will feature four new models and include a new 92 feet flagship and the re-entry into the yacht segment. The most prolific of all the medium sized builders has finally decided to return to the yacht market since 1995, but in reality the new 75 is a completely new breed and unlike its previous nineteen year ancestors challenges European design to the max. The new 75 Motor Yacht features all latest coming from Europe; as the fore deck settee, up and down bathing platform, and one of the best layouts for a 23 meter motor yacht, both above and below deck. It is just a pity that hull one will feature a more US enclosed bridge, as I am sure an open flybridge version would have enticed a few European buyers in Fort Lauderdale coming this fall. The Viking 75 Motor Yacht surprises for space, layout, and technical sides, on paper it looks to have a lot going for it. The main deck has abundance of space; saloon, dining table, standard open plan galley, passenger dinette forward and a day head. Below will be four double guest cabins, with an owners stateroom located amidships. Aft is space for two crew cabins which sleep four and share a head. On the technical side Viking points out that the new 75 Motor Yacht will feature a totally new hull shape which will be performing and in line with the very high standards sport fish yachts usually require. Hull one pictured above will be powered by the largest of the options of twin 1925hp Cat engines which Viking estimates will give top speeds in the medium thirties.    

Technical Data:

LOA - 23.92 m (78.6ft)

Beam - 6.01 m

Draft - 1.65 m

Displacement - 56,789 kg

Fuel Capacity - 5299 l

Water Capacity - 1143 l

Accommodation - 8 guest berths in 4 cabins, 4 crew beds in 2 cabins

Engines - 2 x Man V12 CRM 1550hp, V12 1800hp, Cat C32A 1825hp, C32A 1925hp

Propulsion - line shaft

Speed - 35 knots max, 30 knots cruise estimated with Cat 1925hp

Hull Shape - warped planning Vee-shape with deep entrance and low dead rise aft

www.vikingyachts.com 

PowerYachtBlog Best of the Year 2014

Best of 2013

2013 was not a bad year for the boating industry, especially compared to the not so hard to improve on 2012. Some countries started turning around from the previous couple years showing a more favourable legislation to boating.  The positive results for 2013 was surely the growth shown in super yacht sizes over 24 meters which looks not so far off from its best 2008 year, with some of the famous brands and popular models having orders going into 2015. Governments of Italy and Spain in 2013 also changed direction; Italy has removed its boating tax for boats till fourteen meters from twelve and divided by half that till twenty meters, with Spain trying to fix the mess it did with it's charter legislation from 2009 till 2013.  For 2014 we have Greece who seems to have come with a tax on yachts which includes even tourists on transit, while France introduces a new berth tax.  The neighbouring countries will be the ones rejoicing at these new taxes, with the bitter remaining on boaters.

PowerYacht 2013 best is the Prestige 750 which challenges conventional yacht design in this size, with two unique details. First is the floating owners stateroom forward, located in between the lower and main deck. The second is an astern galley on a yacht of 22 meters. Well done to Garroni, Prestige and Beneteau Group for challenging convention.

The others.

Astondoa 63 Top Deck. Spain's largest yacht builder go an unedited direction with this nineteen meter sport yacht, using its main deck from fore to aft to make it the ultimate party yacht.  The main deck offers a bar, a jacuzzi pool aft, and side bulkheads which drop down and add space.  

Baglietto MV13. Completely custom and build of alloy, this small thirteen meter Baglietto designed by Paszkowski is inspired to its historical important past from World War One and Two, and the Mas Torpedo boat. It is a pity it is just a one-off. 

Bavaria 420 Virtess. The German mass boat producer has set up nicely in the past decade for its sport cruisers in between eight to twelve meters size. Now it presents its first flybridge cruiser, with three double cabins and the usual competitive price synonymous with Bavaria. 

Carver C34. Its a new design direction for the 1954 founded USA boat builder in this ten meter flybridge cruiser with modern European inspired looks outside and use of space, but also traditional in its shaft propulsion set up.  

Cranchi 53 Eco Trawler LD. The market takes Cranchi into a new direction presenting its first explorer trawler yacht.  Its a spacious offer with green elements as solar panels fitted in the coach roof, and five options for the third cabin space.   

Ferretti 960. Space is reinvented, see aft deck and bathing platform layout but also a new record is set at over 29 meters and a load line of just under 24 meters. Competition of pocket super yachts with an LOA between ninety to one-hundred feet and a load line at 23.9 meters begins.  

MonteCarlo MCY86. Three years after the debut of the first Monte Carlo Yacht, the 76, Beneteau Group shows it means business, by presenting its first super yacht above 24 meters. 

Tiara 50 Coupe. The USA builder from Michigan always makes its own style in the genre, and here it does it again with this sixteen meter sport yacht full of classic contemporary design, including a feeling element of a down East lobster boat without being one.     

British hatrick. Fairline Targa 48 Open. Three new offers appeared in 2013 from the main British builders in this category of hard top fourteen meter sport-cruisers with IPS pod drives, and full beam owners cabin.  Of the three the Fairline's Targa 48 Open is the preferred for its weight conscious central positioned engines, and more spacious main deck layout.  Fairline will use the same hull for the similar patio door enclosed Targa 48 GT, and the flybridge Squadron 48.

PowerYacht wishes to all its followers, friends, readers, and visitors a Healthy and Prosperous 2014 year.

New Model: Prestige 750

It's an interesting time for the Beneteau Group the current largest boat builder in the World. It's motor boating brands have been a source for innovative layouts in the latest years, and the Prestige designers trio of Garroni, JandJ, and JP concepts do it most with the new 750 flagship of the brand.  It's been for a long time standing and called the holy grail of layouts in this size, that for an owners room at amidships, but this new Prestige challenges that concept with an owners cabin to fore, in a separate dedicated deck between the lower and main floors. This can have many advantages less water noise coming from the hull when on the bed, and higher no headroom problem.  Another challenging feature in the Prestige 750 is that of an astern galley and dinette, first featured on the Ferretti 630 in 2005, but a feature which hardly if ever seen in this size.  The Prestige 750 comes a few feet short of being a super-yacht but many of the features makes it an impressive for its size.     

Technical Data:

LOA - 22.58 m (74ft)

Hull Length - 20.7 m

Waterline Length - 18 m

Beam - 5.46 m

Draft - 1.59 m

Displacement - 41.4 tons dry, 48 tons loaded

Fuel Capacity - 4400 l

Water Capacity - 840 l

Accommodation - 8 berths in 4 cabins, 1 crew cabin with 2 berths

Max Persons - 16

Engines - 2 x MAN 1000hp, 1200hp

Propulsion - line shaft with ZF gearbox and 4 bladed propellers

Speed - 28 knots max, 24 knots cruise with 1200hp MAN

Range - 324 nm at cruse

Hull Shape - planning Vee shape with spray rails and 14 degrees dead-rise aft

Construction - sandwich hull, deck and super structure in vinylester resin  

Project - Garroni, J and J, JP Concepts

Certification - CE B16, Germanisher Lloyd for structural concept

www.prestige-yachts.com

PowerYachtBlog Best of the Year 2013

Best of 2012

Its been another difficult year for the pleasure boating industry, something ongoing since 2009. The good news is that 2012 confirmed the Super Yacht upward swing which started to show in the previous year, with the Dutch, most famous for thirty meter plus also competing in smaller sizes. The big known brands are also more stable, managing to ride the ongoing long economic storms better to others, with the reason being an international well laid portfolio of dealers makes selling a production of boats more easier then in one country.  Unfortunately there is still suffering in most of the usual pleasure boating and yachting centric countries, where most boutique builders with small production numbers and build to order custom exist.  Countries like USA, Italy, Holland, UK, and Scandinavia have these small, medium sized builders which always deserve attention from any buyer, especially if one wants a yacht to his demands rather to one following an important market research.   

PowerYacht best of 2012 is the Azimut 55S.  In Spring 2003 Azimut entered the sport yacht segment with the 68S, challenging and changing the genre in every way from the design to the finishing's of yacht interiors.  Nine years after Azimut challenges again, itself and the sport yacht genre with this new triple Volvo IPS powered 55S, which is again a big evolution to the species.  The Stefano Righini designed 55S is full of surprises from its use of carbon fibre, the vertical bow with steel grill, transformative aft beach club worthy of a super yacht, unseen spaces inside, and the triple Volvo engines which can be twin used for fuel economy at under 25 knots. Another game changer!   

The others.

Absolute 72 Fly. Absolute expansion in just ten years has been something outstanding.  Just saying the 72 Fly is a new flagship, for all Absolute and the flybridge range which debuted in 2010 with the 50 Fly model. 

Cheoy Lee 76 Alpha. This Hong Kong ship builder is well known for commercial vessels and super yachts.  Now it enters production yachting with this 23 meter sport yacht, helped by Luiz de Basto for exterior styling and Michael Peters for hull design.

Couach 5000 Fly. Its been five years in the making for Couach fifty meters largest build to date new flagship.  As is usual for the French builder, hull design takes high importance with the 5000 good to go at thirty knots or at twelve for a four thousand nautical miles range. 

Princess 40M. It took just fifteen months for Princess to expand on the 32M, the first unit to come from the Super Yacht dedicated facility called the South Yard, with the 40M flagship going to 131 feet.  Things are getting big, bigger extremely fast. 

Riviera 445 SUV. The famous down under boat builder mixes its Offshore Express, Sport yacht, and Open Flybridge lines and cooks its first 445 Sport Utility Vessel.  The first of a new range according to news from the Gold Coast.   

Sanlorenzo SL94. A Sanlorenzo with the usual conventional design, but look at the specification and that load line length of 23.9 meters.  Enters the first super yacht at ninety feet plus, with a sub 24 meters length and the benefits of this.  Clever use of rules, the competition will notice.

Sunseeker 40 Portofino. The known British name returns in the twelve meter sport cruiser size, full of style, including a Ken Freivokh interior.  It is getting crowded in this size for quality production hard-top sport cruisers, with other new offers coming from both Britain and Italy in 2012.

Wally 26M Ace. Mr. Luca Bassani is always on the attention of new trends, and how his vision will work.  Enters the Ace, Wally's explorer long range super yacht with spacious volumes and a range up to 5,000 nautical miles at nine knots cruise.  Wally does it, it's own way.

Expanding range. Tiara 3600 Coronet. The Tiara's Coronet has been the entry model and range of this quality renowned USA builder, offering day cruiser amenities with some fishing details.  Now this totally new 3600 takes the Coronet range to a larger size, and follows the luxurious design and detailing as presented in 2011 with the 3100.  Tiara will expand size in the Coronet range further with a larger 3900 currently in project stages.   

PowerYacht wishes to all its followers, friends, readers, and visitors a Healthy and Prosperous 2013 year.

New Model: Azimut 55 S

A new Azimut is always a lot of talking from the professionals to passionate people alike.  Rightly so as this Italian builder has in the last two decades pushed the border of yachting design to new heights, and its constant research and development is something to admire.  The new 55 S started to make it to the news more or less three months ago, when a rendering was shown on the official web site along with the novelties coming with it; triple pod propulsion, new transom pivoting system, integrated garage, and carbon fiber reinforcements.  Obviously my biggest surprise was to see Azimut going the Volvo IPS pod propulsion route in the 55 S.  Yes the Azimut-Benetti Group has flirted with pods on its models, officially on the 43 S in 2005, and Atlantis 50x4, plus testing a 50 and 55 in Volvo's base in Sweden, and the 62 S was also the bench mark for the ZF Zeus pod much acclaimed large 4000 unit.  But after this there always seemed to be a pause in launching models with pods. Still I am as at today surprised by this choice in the new Azimut 55S.  But what is a fact is that the triple pods set up has obviously made extra space available to interior designer Carlo Galeazzi who presents a three double cabins layout; with a full beam midships owners stateroom which would not look out of place even in a sport yacht ten feet larger.  The living of the 55 S is on the main deck with a galley to starboard, and a C-shaped settee which join up with the aft cockpit settee when patio door is open.   There is also a choice here to port side for a unit or a small lounger.  Back to the past is the single person crew cabin located to fore, and also giving sound insulation from wave splash to the forward VIP suite.  Other interesting details in the 55 S; are the fore deck settee, transformation of the aft deck to a large sun pad, and how the bathing platform area feels like that of much bigger yacht.  In the technical department Azimut again with the 55 S go to carbon fiber reinforcements; also used in the latest 64 and 60 of the Flybridge series, although to what extent this is done is not officially communicated.  Needless to say at 22 tons loaded for seventeen meters is a very low displacement compared to similar sized vessels.  So three to four tons are definitely saved.  The three Volvo 435hp with IPS give a 36 knots max speed, and 31 of cruise.     

Technical Data:

LOA - 17.29 m (56.9ft)

Hull Length - 15.35 m

Beam - 4.65 m

Draft - 1.14 m

Displacement - 22 t full load

Fuel Capacity - 1600 l

Water Capacity - 590 l

Accommodation - 6 berths in 3 cabins, 1 crew cabin berth

Engines - 3 x Volvo D6 435hp

Propulsion - Volvo forward looking dual propeller IPS 600 pods

Speed - 36 knots max, 31 knots cruise

Construction - Vinilester resins vacuum infusion, Carbon fiber reinforcements

Hull Type - Vee shape with medium 15,6 degrees deadrise aft

Project - Stefano Righini exterior, Carlo Galeazzi interior

Certification - UNI ISO 8666

www.azimutyachts.net

PowerYachtBlog Best of the Year 2012

Best of 2011

It's gonna be worse before it gets better, or so the saying goes.  Things have been going downwards in the World economy since that fall of 2008, and the start of 2012 sees European governments seeing where they can find the funds to keep on running the state machine.  In Italy, what is the biggest yachting industry and market in Europe, and the largest World wide for yachts over 24 meters the current technical government has come with a bad idea, to tax yachts, and clamp them.  A good idea to reduce more the yachting industry, which has since 2008 lost about 20% in gross revenue.  In all this climate boat builders do not give up, and presented new models to entice buyers even more in these difficult times. 

PowerYacht best of 2011 is the Wider 42. A new brand founded in hard times by Tili Antonelli last year, the founder of fast yachts icon Pershing in 1985 who helmed the company till 2010.  This Wider first model is a day cruiser with high performance in mind and versatility of use, designed by Fulvio de Simoni it is unusual in looks, and among many technical details includes extendable bulwarks which extend space and reduces roll on anchor.

The others.

Atlantis 58. The entry level Azimut-Benetti brand new design language by Salvetti and Biaggi as introduced in 2010 continues.  For 2011 Atlantis presents a new largest ever flagship, which comes with interesting options; with or without patio door, and three choices for the third cabin.  

Cutwater 26. Trailable, impressive spaces inside in under eight meters, and superb seakeeping qualities from an unedited hull shape for this new brand which comes from the same owners of Ranger Tugs. 

Fiart 33 Seawalker. Walkaround sport cruisers are becoming a thing in Italy, and this is Fiart very open reply, with bow to stern deck space and four berths below deck.  

Greenline 70 Ocean Class. Greenline second model more then doubles the size to the first 33 Hybrid.  Optional green clean energy features with a modern design language out and inside, and a possible trans-Atlantic range at slow displacement speeds.

Jarrett Bay 46 Sportfisherman hull #57. A fully custom order by Nascar driver Jeff Burton, Jarrett Bay #57 is also an innovative sport fish cruiser, being the first pod drive propulsion boat for the custom Carolina builder, and also the first with a lower windshield and helm. 

Metamarine TNT 48 Replica. It is something unseen nowadays but this is a fast sport cruiser slash powerboat fully coming from the racing circuit, to be exact the demanding Endurance class, of which the hull is winner in 2010, and 2004. 

Princess 32M. M is Princess new range of large super yacht beyond thirty meters in size which also represents the new South yard development.  A new flagship but not for long with the project for a forty meter gaining pace. 

Sasga 42. A new brand from the founders and previous owners of Mennorquin.  It is the first model of Sasga with projects of smaller and larger models already planned. Design by Indigo Toledo of Barracuda for a contemporary look. 

Going small. Viking 42 Open. The top selling production sportfish yacht builder of recent years presents a new entry level twelve meter in length platform at the end of 2010 with the 42 Convertible which gets added with a 42 Open sister at the start of 2011.  It is an entrance to the Viking World which makes Sportfish yachts up to super 25 meters in size.

PowerYacht wishes to all its followers, friends, readers, and visitors a Healthy and Prosperous 2012 year.

New Model: Wider 42

Could we have expected anything less from the founder of Pershing in what is today among the leading brands World wide in the medium Sport Yacht sizes.  This is in synthesis what I think of the revolution that comes from Wider, the new company of Tilli Antonelli which he founded in 2010 and a year later to this launches its innovative first 42 model.  The Wider 42 is many things in one but most of all it is a sport cruiser with super unthinkable day enjoying ability.  Saying it is a revolution is spot on but even this does not synthesize the Wider 42; from its expandable medium deck space, to its Private water craft carrying capability, and a host of innovative features on the electronics front.  Some spaces and capabilities of the Wider 42 are unthinkable for boats even ten feet or more larger, but this is where transformation and geniality come to place. Wider 42 also offers overnight accommodation for two persons in a cabin with shower head located below to fore.  Performance is another achievement of the Wider 42 having fast performance even with standard Yanmar 370hp engines which give a 44 knots max speed.  More to this and a 53 knots top end is given by Cummins 480hp optional choice.  The Wider is everything high technology and modern one could imagine and for this the company already received six orders on paper for the new model, which in today market is something very rare if not impossible.  Now the Wider concept moves on and after this model a 35 with a similar concept to the 42 should follow, and a 50 offering more in the cabin area.  About the last I am very intrigued!

Technical Data:

LOA - 12.9 m (42.4ft)

Beam - 3.50 m

Beam with opened configuration - 6.60 m

Draft - 0.88 m

Displacement - 6.2 t unloaded, 9 t loaded

Fuel Capacity - 1000 l

Water Capacity - 250 l

Max Persons - 12

Accommodation - 2 berths

Engines - 2 x Yanmar 8LV 370hp, Cummins QSB 5.9 480hp

Propulsuon - Arneson surface drives

Speed - 44 knots max with Yanmar 370hp, 53 knots with Cummins 480hp

Hull - two steps deep Vee

Project - Fulvio De Simoni, Wider, Mark B. Wilson hull

Certification - CE B, standard safeties for six persons

www.wider-yachts.com

PowerYachtBlog Best of the Year 2011

Best of 2010

2010 has continued the market turmoil, of the previous 09 year.  It's been a challenging year for most yacht builders.  Yet in all this yacht builders always find the energy to re-invent themselves and entice the boat and yacht buyer.  Here is the 2010 favourite boats and yachts.

The PowerYacht 2010 favourite is the Arcadia 85. There is a big challenge coming in this new super yacht from this freshy founded Naples Italian brand, not only for presenting itself in one of the most ever difficult economies in recent times, but also for coming with an un-edited design language thanks to Francesco Guida.  In this comes also a very environmental conscious 25 meter super yacht like we have never seen before.  Going Green is the big challenge of the first century of the second millennium Anno Domini.  

The others.

Atlantis 48. Atlantis re-invents itself with a new design language coming from the young Neo Design firm of Salvetti and Biaggi.  While still hard-top this new direction is also very open, something Atlantis started showing in 2008 with the 54 model. 

Baia B50 Cinquanta. Baia looks at its past into the future with the new full open high performance B50 Cinquanta.  The previous B50 produced from 1983 to 93 represented an important success story for Baia in both sales, and offshore racing winning the Venezia - Monte Carlo rally in 1990.

Cabo 44 Hardtop Express. Sportfish express with three part hard-tops are like non existent for whatever unknown reason.  This Cabo 44 Hardtop Express will change all that, because apart the practical side looks already a classic.

Fairline Targa 58 GT. This new seventeen meter Targa brings evolution and the future to come for the sports cruiser and yacht line of the British builder.  For change it brings a new modern design language outside, and re-invents the layout with a lower deck fully dedicated to the cabins.

Monte Carlo Yachts MCY76. Announced in 2007 the wait is finally over for Beneteau's Group luxury motor yachting brand.  With Carla Demaria at the helm the French giant entrusted top tier Italian designers Nuvolari and Lenard who came with an original design for its first model. 

Salpa 30.5 GT. Walk around centre console look to be the next big thing in North America and the Italians are noticing this.  Neapolitan builder Salpa presents this 30.5 GT which apart featuring a full nine meter of deck space, offers a two plus two accommodation cabin area below.

Sunseeker 48 Portofino. The Sunseeker 48 Portofino started with a blank sheet fully dedicated to Volvo IPS propulsion and its advantages.  The result is one of the best full beam midships cabins in this size, and two options for the aft cockpit deck.

Windy Dubios SR52 Blackbird. Big day cruisers and yachts are a growing thing in the Mediterranean.  Norway's Windy takes a note and makes a collaboration with super yacht famous designer Ed Dubois.  The result is fifty feet of outside space and two berth accommodation below deck.   

Biggest ever. Bertram 800. In 1960 Bertram was the start, the big bang of what the pleasure boating industry would become.  The 800 is the American Eagle biggest ever build and the first entry into the super 24 meters plus size.  Sportfish above 24 meters are a bit hot and cold, but there is a feeling the demand is increasing, with the Bertram being one of two current production super sportfish over eighty foot available. 

PowerYacht wishes to all its followers, friends, readers, and visitors a Healthy and Prosperous 2011 year.

New Model: Arcadia 85

A new Italian yacht builder Arcadia attacks the market with a totally modern concept where innovation is featured in every aspect of the design for this Super Sport Yacht which also gets to confusion where to categorize it. You can call it sports for its lack of flybridge and large open spaces, or explorer for its green attitude and semi planning hull, or may be the Arcadia 85 which is the first of a three model line up is just a way of expressing modern design and cross over styles taking it much further then the others do. The Arcadia 85 will also offer more spaces then conventional similar sized yachts: it can be configured in a five or four cabin layout below, and if desired can also have a day head on the main deck. The galley, dining area are all on the main deck, while the innovative helm is located to the fore peak of the living area. Not to forget that the aft deck of the Arcadia 85 is as spacious as ever and may be not even a yacht double its size offers as much space in this area. Power for the Arcadia 85 is from twin MAN 720hp engines, and other smart intelligent ideas are a good number of solar panels which recharge the batteries, and zero speed stabilization by Rodriguez Marine.

Technical Data:
LOA - 25.90 m (84.9ft)
Hull Length - 23.97 m
Beam - 7.15 m
Draft - 1.65 m
Displacement - 55 t
Fuel Capacity - 8000 l
Water Capacity - 1600 l
Engines - 2 x MAN R6 720hp
Hull - NPL Series semi planning hull
Project - Guida Engineering, 3f Technologies
www.arcadiayachts.com

PowerYachtBlog Best of the Year 2010

Best of 2009

It's been a difficult year for the World economy and like anything the yachting industry has felt its affects to the full.  Nonetheless with all this going on we have still seen a lot of new boats coming in, some of them even innovative on the technical point of view.  Obviously this is the result to the success the yacht industry had in the past decade, with the growth and the monetary size of the industry tripling in recent years.  

2009 also ends the 2000 to 2009 decade with this best of the year also featuring the best of the Decade, for the first ten years of the second millennium.  PowerYacht's best 2000-09 decade boat was the Azimut 68S launched in 2003.  It was a 21 meter which changed sport yachts, introduced the large frame less windows on the hull side, and also a new modern style interior décor.  Revolutionary and also a commercial success, selling the first fifty units in just six months after its first private show appearance in the early Summer of that year.  

Azimut 68S - Best of Decade 2000-09

The best for 2009 is the Azimut 74 Magellano. If possible I would have avoided giving Azimut best of the decade and 2009, but I really could not.  The Italian name is at the forefront of innovation since some decades and in 2009 it brings a new explorer yacht way, from the technical side with a completely unedited patented semi-planning hull shape which gives speeds up to 25 knots, and going into the design and layout of this 23 meter explorer yacht.  Bravo Azimut for surprising us again!

The others.

Atlantis 36 Verve. Atlantis bring a centre console mix into a medium sized eleven meter sport cruiser.  The result is a comfortable day cruiser with accommodation for a couple to go extended cruising.  Will the Verve concept be only this 36 or more?  Centre Consoles are expanding big in North America. 

Bertram 540. The legendary Bertram pushes sportfishing into yachting with this Zuccon designed 540, with the option to have a lower forward windscreen and a second helm.  The big question is if the sport-fishermen want it or not.

BlueGame 60. Blue Game started with the ground breaking sixteen meter one off Luja in 2001, forward to 2005 it debuted its first 47 model. Now it enters an important seventeen meter size, a walk around centre console yacht.  A sport yacht which looks the talk and does the walk.

Austin Parker 42 Open. Austin Parker starts its new revolution, with its new 42 model.  A lobster inspired traditional cruiser full of modern and Mediterranean design solutions designed by the ever clever Fulvio de Simoni.

Italcraft X90 SC. Since becoming part of InRizzardi Group Italcraft has been pushing its size barrier upward.  Designed by part-owner Gianluca Caputi, the X90 SC sees Italcraft offering 45 knots high performance with yacht comfort inside. 

Otam 65 Millennium. Otam has in this decade dominated the market of muscle sport yachts sub sixty feet with its Millennium 55/58 model.  Now the semi-custom yacht builder presents this 65, which is a thing of beauty, class, and fifty knots plus performance.  

Sessa C68. Sessa has been on a roll in recent years evolving its quality upwards not by little.  This C68 is this and beyond and is in its size one of the best looking sport yachts thanks to the magical design of Christian Grande.  The new Sessa C38 was also short listed for this list.

Sunseeker 60 Predator. With enclosed sport yachts becoming the standard in recent years, it is good to see one of the World's favourite brands believing in the open hard-top.  It is Sunseeker best looking yacht since some time, which was noticed also in Poole, reason why a smaller Predator 54 is coming.

Past present. Itama Fifty. The Italian name synonymous with the open sport yacht restore its soul of mid located direct shaft engines and aft cabin layout with this new Fifty model.  A renewal of its heritage as the 1985 presented 45, which in 1995 evolved into the 46, and with minor cosmetics became the 50 in 2002 till 2004.  

PowerYacht wishes to all its followers, friends, readers, and visitors a Healthy and Prosperous 2010 year. 

New Model: Azimut 74 Magellano

Announced vaguely in recent years by Azimut Benetti Group president Paolo Vitelli in his interviews, the 74 Magellano has finally been presented in real form at the Genoa Show. My Voyage is the title given to this bold important step for Azimut, although not a completely new one, as the Italian company has been offering long range yachts with Benetti since it took over this brand in the eighties. The innovation but is part of the DNA of the Italian company in all the things it does, and the 74 Magellano reinvents a completely new line and challenges the Explorer Yacht segment with a different philosophy. Yes we can and you too with us, that is look modern, futuristic and explore the whole planet earth. 74 Magellano was also built in the new Arbatax facility, the second yacht to come from Sardinia behind hull number one of the new 100 Leonardo launched before it. Design is at the hands of Ken Freivokh and Bill Dixon. The designers present an innovate like U-shaped hull design, which reaches top speeds of 25 knots with twin 1015 Cat engines and at its most efficient cruise should allow a range of about 4000 nautical miles. Azimut also says the innovative design reduces consumption to similar boats, and unlike other displacement, semi planning hulls handles following seas with extreme facility. Interior the 74 Magellano offers a modern main deck with super views, a comfortable open space, and an astern galley. Here the theme is to enjoy passages in extreme comfort and having the feeling of a home while underway. Again challenging Explorer Yacht which for the most part echo tradition inside with a more cozy closed environment, here the 74 Magellano having a style used more by medium range faster type boats. Accommodation below offers three double cabins with a full beam owners suite that has an office, VIP fore cabin, double guest, and crew quarters for a single member astern. While the Magellano is full of admiration for what it offers on the aesthetic and technical front, high safety is a big concern for long passage yachts so the Italian builder will give a good trip test of over one thousand nautical miles to the Azores and back, with the return leg to be done by renowned Dag Pike. Last recent spy rumours also says that a smaller 48 is also in advanced planning stages and should be in the water next year, meaning that we might soon see a full Azimut Magellano line up in a couple years time.
Technical Data:
LOA - 22.66 m (74.4ft)

Hull Length - 22.6 m
Beam - 6.20 m
Displacement - 56 t
Fuel Capacity - 7400 l

Water Capacity - 1500 l

Accommodation - 8 berths in 4 cabins

Engines - 2 x Cats C18 1012hp

Propulsion - line shaft Speed - 25 knots max, 21 knots cruise
Range - 1000 nm+

Hull Shape - 10.1 degrees dead rise aft
Project - Bill Dixon, Ken Freivokh

Certification - UNI ISO 8666

www.azimutyachts.com

PowerYachtBlog Best of the Year 2009

Best of 2008

2008 has been a great year for new innovative boats, most coming from Italy, which saw a lot of growth in the last five to eight years, thanks to easy to buy schemes like the Nautical leasing. But saying all this, I would have made a top twenty for 2008 with other ten boat and yachts deserving merit. We have seen new boats thinking outside the usual, so here is PowerYacht's favourite new 2008 boats and yachts.  Ferretti Group which has eight different and distinctive brands dominates the best of 2008 list with four entries showing the innovative thinking of the most diverse Yacht holding in existence today.   

The Best of 2008 is the Mochi 23 Long Range. Ferretti Group first explorer yacht made the engineers at Ferretti Engineering think outside the box, from its Fer.Way displacement hull, to its hybrid or all clean energy electric power propulsion system.  The 23 Long Range apart being Ferretti Group and Mochi first explorer type yacht, is also the first of the genre for Giovanni Zuccon, which shows the never ending talent of the master yacht designer, who has redefined yachting quite a few times in his long career. 

The others.

Atlantis 50x4. Atlantis first IPS yachts is this fifteen meter hard top sport yacht which as the x4 suggests is offered in four different versions.  With patio door or without, and two or three cabins lower deck layout. 

Baia One Hundred. Designed as Baia of the past two decades by Galeazzi this new thirty meter flagship brings a record staggering all glass hard top, and thanks to expansive use of strong light weight materials a best consumption to nautical mile in its size.  

CNM 50 Continental. CNM is a new name and brings attention with its innovative first to the market opening side bulkheads which increase cockpit space of this traditional inspired yet modern open sport yacht.  It's interior also has a modular system converting from a single cabin to three cabins. 

Fiart 4 Seven Genius. The Neapolitan sport cruiser and yacht builder, presents its second hard-top model.  A new hard-top language which is light to the lines and full of open features. 

Grand Banks 41 Heritage EU. The explorer cruiser became very popular thanks to Grand Banks and its revolution onwards from the sixties.  This year Grand Banks embraces latest tech as never before into its new Heritage line entry model using ZF tunnel fitted aft looking pod drives.   

Itama SeventyFive. Marco Casali manages to strike the right balance in Itama's new 23 meters open sport yacht SeventyFive flagship.  Carbon fibre possibly the material of the future is used in the windscreen frame to the hard-top. 

Pershing 64. The new Pershing 64 will set the trend for years to come, thanks to its disappearing into the floor patio door, which brings outside inside.  In 2003 Baia did it first with the 78 patio door disappearing upward, Pershing does it the other way round with its patio door going into the floor. 

Viking 82 Convertible. The New Jersey name dominion in production sportfish yachts above fifty feet grows stronger with this new 25 meter flagship, which apart expanding length by six feet, is also the largest and currently only production super sportfish over 24 meters.    

Full merit. Ferretti 840 Altura. The aft cabin is for the most part a thing of cruisers and yachts build in the Northern part of Europe.  So when when in 2005 Ferretti and designer Zuccon brought the 690 Altura and its aft master stateroom in an Italian-Mediterranean design language they showed a lot courage.  To bring it on 25 meters takes even more merits, with a great believe in the value of the design. 

PowerYacht wishes to all its followers, friends, readers, and visitors a Healthy and Prosperous 2009 year. 

New Model: Mochi 23 Long Range

Mochi 23 Long Range was without a doubt the highest star of the 48th Genoa Boat Show, expected much since last year announcement that Ferretti Group was producing a hybrid yacht. The new flagship of the Mochi range, three decks plus flybridge explorer yacht had to be thanks to a host of two important firsts: the Zero Emissions Mode called ZEM Hybrid Propulsion and the Fer.Wey. Ferretti Wave Efficient Yacht Hull. Another important note for us yacht passionate was in seeing World famous Ferretti Group and designer Zuccon, both renowned mostly for thirty knots performing yachts, challenge the explorer yacht market with a green concept, but also an innovative hull with a top speed of sixteen knots, cruise at thirteen and range of 1500 nautical miles at nine knots. The result shows the 23 Long Range already in the future, to what regards Eco friendliness, being the first to obtain RINA Green Star Clean Energy and Clean Propulsion certification, and also efficient hull dynamics thanks to the Fer.Way hull, which improves the trans planning speeds of 12 knots plus, where displacement and planning shapes start behaving in an abnormal way. Standard interior arrangement of the 75 foot, 23 Long range is a three cabins and double crew berth aft layout. Alternatively an optional four cabin version with fourth bunk cabin is available, plus also the option of an extra captains cabin up top on the third deck, next to the wheel house. Praise has to be given for Ferretti Group, Zuccon International Project and the Mochi brand, who with the 23 Long Range have opened new horizon in yachting technology and design, inventing an Eco friendly motor yacht and reinventing the concept of displacement and semi displacement hull types.
Technical Data:
LOA - 23 m (75.6ft)
Hull Length - 21.33 m
Length Waterline - 19.76 m
Beam - 6.24 m
Draft - 1.48 m
Displacement - 66 t unloaded, 77.7 t loaded
Fuel Capacity - 7800 l
Water Capacity - 2000 l
Max Persons - eighteen
Accommodation - 6 berths in 3 cabins, 2 berths crew cabin, optional 4 cabins plus extra crew cabin
Engines - 2 x MAN D0836LE423 550hp, MAN R6 800CR 800hp
Speeds - max 16 knots, cruising 13.5 knots with MAN 800hp
Range - 1500 nautical miles at nine knots
Project - Zuccon International Project, AYT Ferretti Engineering
Certification - CE A 2003/44, RINA Green star

www.mochicraft-yacht.com

PowerYachtBlog Best of the Year 2008

Best of 2007

2007 is PowerYachtBlog first year, as this motor boats and yachts blog was started in March.  2007 was a year as the one before it, which continued the growth of the pleasure boating industry, with the old continent, and Italy first pushing this seven year or more lasting upward trend.  The Best of Year list marks the year ended PowerYacht favourites.  The criteria's for the Best of the Year are not really written, but technical innovation, and design challenge are the most appreciated two. 

PowerYacht's Best of 2007 is the Sanlorenzo 40 Alloy. Since 2006 Sanlorenzo has a management lead by new owner Massimo Perotti.  The 40 Alloy designed by Paszkowski shows the forward thinking direction Perotti is about, rivalling some neighbouring names in sleekness with technical innovation thrown into the design, see drop down balcony in the main deck owners stateroom.  Worth a note is that Sanlorenzo also released the SD92 which would have just been in this list have it not been for this future looking new current forty meter flagship.  Two new different lines for the first full two years in management show that Sanlorenzo will be a big force in semi-production super yachts in no time.  

The others.

Absolute 52. Immediately trying IPS pod propulsion in 2006 with the current tri-engines 56 flagship, Absolute follows it a year later with two smaller 47 and 52 models.  The 52 is a fully enclosed hard-top with patio door, and a lower deck fully dedicated to the three double cabins layout. 

Baia 70 Italia. Baia is regarded top draw for surface drive high performance cruisers and yachts with comfort.  The 70 Italia follows this with a fully enclosed hard top with disappearing act patio door, something seen in the 78 Atlantica launched in 2003.  Modern classic style at its best. 

Feadship F45 Vantage. Its been possibly decades since the Dutch super yacht renowned name offered a semi-custom platform.  But here we are with Feadship offering this 45 meter semi custom model with the help of Dutch designer Sinot. 

Ferretti 510. The astern galley on the main deck as presented in the fall 2005 with the 630 goes two into this second smallest size Ferretti.  It works so well and is a layout revolution, that will feature in most flybridge yachts sub twenty meters in the near future.   

Overmarine Mangusta 165. Mangusta has been breaking size record for what is called the maxi super sport yacht over the years since the nineties.  Can anyone beat the Mangusta 165?

Riviera 4400 Sport Yacht. Riviera all enclosed hard top Sport Yacht range has been a success since debuting with the 3600 in 2005.  In 2007 Riviera wants more of this and presents the 4700 and a more innovative 4400 Sport Yacht, this last also being its first IPS pod propulsion boat. 

Sealine SC35. A new minimal design from Sealine which translates to one of the most spacious cockpit decks in its size.  Reports say it is selling very well.

Uniesse 75 Open HT. Uniesse new 23 meter flagship expands the Carolina sportfish inspired looks as designed by Fred Hudson.  Trademark distinct looks since founded in 1990 gets biggest ever. 

Going large. Princess 95 MY. A new Princess flagship brings attention, taking the famous British brand to a new large size of 28 meters, three meters to the previous flagship.  The 95 also brings Princess new MY range with a cleaner sleeker more standardised looks compared to the M series it replaces, with an 85 MY replacing the previous 25M flagship currently in project-build stages.  Can Princess go bigger to this, only time will tell.

PowerYacht wishes to all its followers, friends, readers, and visitors a Healthy and Prosperous 2008 year.

New Model: Sanlorenzo 40 Alloy

Biggest Motor Yacht ever build from the prestigious Sanlorenzo shipyard from Viareggio, Italy, the new 40 Alloy reflects the classic element which have given the title to this builder as being the Rolls Royce of the sea, but also shows a look at the future with innovative design touches. The 40 Alloy is a modern classic lines innovative motor super yacht thanks to the ingenious opening side balconies, which open from the side deck giving something extremely unique and special to the guests on board. Considered by many as being the show stopper from the new boats presented in the fall of 2007, it offers interior accommodation for 10 guests in 5 separate cabins with crew accommodation for 7 members in 4 cabins. Designed with a planning hull it offers top speeds of 28 knots with cruising of 25 powered by twin MTU 2775hp engines.

Technical Data:

Length - 38.50 m (126.3ft)

Beam - 7.60 m

Draft - 2.85 m

Displacement - 156 t

Accommodation - 5 cabins for 10 guests, 7 crew berths in 4 cabins

Fuel Capacity - 30.000 l

Water Capacity - 6.000 l

Engines - 2 x MTU 12V4000M90 2775hp

Speed - 28 knots maximum, 25 knots cruising

Construction Material - alloy

www.sanlorenzoyacht.com

PowerYachtBlog Best of the Year 2007