Project: Hunt 68 Express Cruiser

Hunt yachts presents the project and initial rendering designs for a new flagship which will increase its size offer by sixteen feet, the 68 Express Cruiser.  As all other Hunt, the 68 Express Cruiser will inspire itself to a modern down East lobster boat design, with a fully enclosed main deck which opens up thanks to sunroof, electric windows, and patio doors.  Her interior will be a three double cabins plan, with an office, full beam owners stateroom, and an aft located crew cabin for one person.  The main deck is a smart single level arrangement and will feature an open galley plan, joining with the saloon, and helm station to starboard.  The Hunt 68 Express Cruiser will also offer two engine choices from twin Cat 1150hp, to optional 1900.  Propulsion will also be a diverse choice from standard shafts, to optional IPS, and jet drives. 

www.huntyachts.com

New Model: Riva 44 Rivarama Super

Riva made the September of 2011 an important month, presenting three new models from the total novelty of the baby 27 Iseo, to important redesign of the 75 Venere and the 44 Rivarama, now both added with acronym of Super behind the names.  Often called the floating suite of the range due to its large single open stateroom  characteristic the 44 Rivarama Super.  The Rivarama Super also unusual in this type of yacht also features a single crew cabin with head and separate entrance located to midships starboard side. In this new Rivarama Super version the updates are most notably the added sun lounger on the fore deck, and a the enlargement of the side windows which now keeps ongoing up close to the air intakes of the engines.  The materials used for the interiors have also been completely renewed, with furnishings and walls in opaque painted oak, enriched by the use of mahogany brown leather with matching stitching in the table column, the bed runaround and the headboard.  Power is from twin MAN 800hp engines which give a top speed of 41 knots to a medium Vee eighteen degrees shaped hull.

Technical Data:

LOA - 13.4 m (44ft)

Hull Length - 13.3 m

Waterline Length - 11.1 m

Beam - 3.88 m

Draft - 1.03 m loaded and with propellers

Displacement - 13.1 t unloaded, 15.54 t loaded

Fuel Capacity - 1330 l

Water Capacity - 200 l

Accommodation - 2 guest berths, 1 crew cabin berth

Max Persons - 10

Engines - 2 x MAN R6 800hp

Propulsion - line shaft

Speed - 41 knots max, 36 knots cruise

Range - 200 nm at cruise speed

Hull Type - monohedron hull with sprayrails and 18 degrees dead rise aft

Project - Mauro Micheli Officina Italiana Design, Ferretti AYT and Centro Stile

Certfication - CE 2003/44 A, modules B + F + Aa (sounds emmisions)
www.riva-yacht.com

Project: Grand Banks 55 Eastbay FB

Grand Banks Yachts enters the fall boat show season on an upswing, with highly anticipated exhibits at events across the US and in Europe. The company is also using the occasion to announce its newest model, the 55 Eastbay FB, a flybridge-topped version of the 55-foot Downeast lobster traditional looking yacht now leading this six model series by Grand Banks.  The 55 Eastbay FB is currently under construction for a launch in 2012, when it delivers to an owner in the northeast United States. Like all yachts in the Eastbay Series, the 55FB combines a seaworthy modified Vee hull by C. Raymond Hunt Associates with GB's acclaimed build quality and craftsmanship, all in a timelessly-styled design. This model features a spacious flying bridge with Stidd helm seats, handmade teak dining table surrounded by a large L-settee, plus lots of room for entertaining and enjoyment. Down below, owners can choose between a two or three stateroom layouts and options for up or down galley configurations. Stylish, luxurious and with a long list of standard equipment, the Grand Banks 55 Eastbay FB is also a powerful performer with 32 knots max speeds.

www.grandbanks.com

New Model: Sessa 45 Fly

Sessa finally shows the second model of its flybridge range with the much awaited 45 Fly.  The second Sessa flybridge model follows the first 54 Fly, and was launched in middle Summer with a tour taking it around the West Mediterranean and finishing in early September in Cannes for the World preview at the famous boat show.  The Sessa 45 Fly comes again from the hands of architect Christian Grande who presented very modern sports flybridge looks, or as Sessa likes to call it an open evolution.  Innovative ideas come from the forward sunbed on the flybridge which has a movable back rest which can extend its size, and from the two pillars of the aft deck which have an open tent cover privatizing the area or protect it from cold weather in seconds.  The 45 Fly is a tribute to clever design and intelligent use of space from a very spacious flybridge seating up to ten persons, to a layout design of the interior offered in a two, or three cabins plan.  In the three cabins version the galley moves up in a split level saloon, while in the two sleeping room offer this is below and is a spacious offer.  In both layouts the owners room is to fore, and features an island double with a private shower head to port side. Power from the Sessa 45 Fly is from Volvo 435hp engines with IPS pods.   

Technical Data:

LOA - 14.27 m (46.8ft)

Beam - 4.38 m

Fuel Capacity - 2 x 636 l

Water Capacity - 560 l

Accommodation - 4 berths in cabins, or 6 berths in 3 cabins

Engines - 2 x Volvo D6 435hp

Propulsion - Volvo IPS600 forward looking dual propeller pods

Project - Cristian Grande

www.sessamarine.com

Engine: FPT N67 500hp

FPT presents the N67 500hp engine, which will also be available as a package with the ZF 2800 pod drive. The N67 series of 6.7 liters six cylinders engine is available in other five formats starting from 150, 220, 280, 450, and 560hp engines.   In this package the new FPT engine gives impressive results of efficiency and speeds.  The new N67 500hp engine with the innovative propulsion system introduced by ZF allows the Nef Series, with six cylinders and electronic Common Rail, to extend its applicative range by entering the established Pod Drive sector. The package, which will be available starting from next January, allows reaching performances at the top of its category; the comparison with the top competitor engines equipped with Pod Drive, in fact shows that the N67 500 PD has: the best power/weight ratio 0.55 hp/kilogram, the highest specific nominal torque 175 Nm/litre, maximum torque 228 Nm/litre, power/volume ratio 0.77 hp/cubic decimetre, and the lowest specific consumption in its category 216 grams/kilowatt hour.

www.fptindustrial.com

Project: Apreamare 56 Maestro

Apeamare has made 2011 a very important year presenting three new models, the 66 Maestro launched in early Spring, the 45 Smeraldo in September, and now the 56 Maestro which although we are showing project pictures here, was presented officially in Genoa a week ago.  The 56 Maestro will sit in between the 51 and also new 66 model, and is to be the second Apreamare powered by pod drives.  Design for this model is again trusted to Zuccon, care takes of all the Maestro range who presents the ship looking lines, with one of the most natural light filled saloon in this size of motor yacht.  The interior of the 56 Maestro offers three double cabins, with a full beam owners stateroom located to midships.  The layout has an important option of a three heads layout with galley located to starboard on the main deck by the helm station, or a galley down to midships with access from a five step staircase.  The 56 Maestro also gets a single crew cabin with one berth located to port side midships and having an entrance from the aft deck.  Power is from twin Volvo 600 or optional 700hp with IPS pods propulsion.  Speeds are a max of 28 knots with the standard engines and go up to 30 with the optional choice.

www.apreamare.it

New Model: Koot 54

Announced in July as a project, and launched in late Summer just in time for the Cannes show is the first model from Koot, the 54.  Koot is a boat builder based in Tunisia, with a Kuwaiti owner, and Italian manager overseeing building activities.  The design was trusted to Italian designer Sergio Cutolo from Hydrotech, who present clean sweeping lines with minimal touches, and large view windows to both sides.  The interior of the Koot 54 offers two layouts, a Loft or a Two cabins version.  In the loft version open spaces are abundant with a set of two opposite settees taking most of the accommodation space.  In the two cabins is a traditional plan with an owners room to fore, C-shaped saloon, galley, and a guest cabin with two single in line berths.  Power for hull one was twin MAN 800hp which give a cruise speed of over 30 knots.

Technical Data:

LOA - 16.5 m (54.1ft)

Beam - 4.88 m

Draft - 1.07 m

Displacement - 25,000 kg

Fuel Capacity - 2500 l

Accommodation - 4 berths in 2 cabins + 2 in saloon, 2 berths in loft version

Engines - 2 x MAN R6 800hp

Propulsion - line shafts

Speed - 30 knots cruise

Range - 400 nm

Hull Type - modified vee planning shape

Project - Sergio Cutolo hull, Franceso Maria Guilini interior, Koot Design Team

Certification - CE B RINA

www.kootyacht.com

Class 1 - Italy Grand Prix 2011 Preview

Ten boats will line up on Italy’s Lake Como this week, October 14-16 when Cernobbio hosts the Italian Grand Prix, round 3 of the UIM Class 1 World Powerboat Championship and the title decider for the 2011 European Championship.

Whilst it is not the first time that Class 1 has graced the waters of Lake Como, the late Bruno Abbate organising a special event in October 1987 which was won by former Italian tennis champion Adriano Panatta it is a first for hosts Cernobbio and the first time that the fleet rolls out for an official round of the World Championship.

Victory’s Arif Al Zafeen and Nadir bin Hendi lead the World Championship standings and will be intent on retaining their European crown, but the defending Champions will have to come from behind and overturn a five point deficit to do so, after losing out to their arch-rivals Spirit of Qatar 96 in Norway.

The Emirati-duo, who won the season-openers in Abu Dhabi, have won three out of the last four races in Italy, and will be looking for their 24th career-wins to extend Victory Team’s enviable record on Italian water’s, winning 14-times in 13 years, their [team] first win coming in 1993 in Ischia.

The return of the Spirit of Qatar Team has added spice to the Championship as their rivalry with their Middle East cousins intensifies on and off the water. Sheikh Hassan and Steve Curtis’ victory in Norway ended their 12-race win-drought, and they now go in search of their first major Class 1 title together - Curtis hunting down a record fifth European crown and Sheikh Hassan a second, on what will be his 50th Grand Prix outing. The team has made one or two upgrades and worked on modifications to improve performance, specifically acceleration which Curtis believes is crucial for the type of courses being run these days.

But Sheikh Hassan and Curtis will also need to keep very close tabs on teammates Ali Al Neama and Matteo Nicolini - who lines up for his 100th Grand Prix and the last Italian to win a major Class 1 trophy lifting the European title in 2005 - who have out-gunned them in both qualifying sessions this season and sit behind them in the standings, after taking two podium finishes.

Two outfits looking to end a long and well overdue wait for an Italian win on home waters - the last by Edoardo Polli and Lamberto Leoni in Tarranto in 1997 - are DAC Racing and Fendi Racing; Guido Cappellini and Giampaolo Montavoci lead the all-Italian challengers in the World and European title races and, after carrying out further modifications to their DAC 40 Poliform, will be looking to improve on their fourth place in Norway and step-up to challenge for their first win together.

Fendi Racing’s first outing with their new Outerlimits boat-engine package did not give Luca Formilli Fendi and Giovanni Carpitella the performance or results they were expecting, with the team announcing an immediate switch of engine supplier after only one outing with the Outerlimits Powertrain SCI 850 V8s, confirming that they have signed an agreement with SCAM Technology to run their 8.2litre V12 engines, stating that the American engines need a further period of development.

Further Italian interest will focus on GiorgiOffshore, who return to racing with an upgraded boat after missing the last event, with Nicola Giorgi lining-up alongside Sandro Sardelli in MITI Tech Power, the partnership teaming-up for the first time in Abu Dhabi in 2010, taking two fifth place finishes.

Team D’Alessio-SCAM make their first appearance in the Championship with the experienced Luca Nicolini, who made his Class 1 debut in 1993 and has 14 starts under his belt, taking two podium finishes in 2007, on the throttles in the Victory built, V12 powered FA.RO. ACCIAI., with Belgium’s Frank Hemelaer set to make his Class 1 driving debut.

Team Abu Dhabi has announced an eleventh-hour call-up for F1H2O star Ahmed Al Hameli who steps in to substitute for Rashed Al Tayer, forced to sit out the event after picking up an injury at a Jet Ski event in America. Al Hameli, who made his Class 1 debut in 2009, teams-up with fellow-Emirati Majed Al Mansoori - both making just their second Grand Prix starts in Class 1.

An unexpected announcement by Welmax Offshore Racing sees a revised driver line-up with the 2010 Edox Pole Position Champions Kolbjorn Selmer and Jorn Tandberg stepping aside and Bjorge Jacobsen and Kurt Olsen stepping in to take over race duties. The team has also opted to run the Maritimo hull over the MTI, retaining the name Welmax.

Zabo Racing’s Ugur Isik and Christian Zaborowski will be looking to improve on their performances after picking up just ten points from three outings in Relekta, and will arrive in Italy confident that they can turn things around. Team principal Jan Zaborowski has confirmed that they have made considerable modifications to the Victory hull, which they debuted in Norway, and that they will be in good shape in Italy.

The Grand Prix weekend gets underway with first official practice at midday on Friday. A second practice session, qualifying in the Edox Pole Position and race 1 take place on Saturday, with a final practice session on Sunday morning followed by race 2 in the afternoon.

www.class-1.com

New Model: Fiart 58 Epica

Fiart have been announcing a flagship of over 55 feet for quite some time now, and finally this model has arrived with the 58 Epica.  The new big Fiart takes style from the latest model of the range most notably the 4Seven, and 4TFour Genius, with modern concepts which mix traditional looking lines.  A distinct feature of the 58 Epica is also the very straight bow, which reminds me a bit of an Americas Cup class 4 sailing boat.  The 58 Epica continues Fiart believe of a very open, free layout both inside and outside. The cockpit surely surprises for its size, with a U-shaped settee to aft, L-shaped wetbar galley, C-shaped lounger to port side, and two seat helm station leaving much free space in between.  The accommodation layout below is a spacious affair with three double cabins layout all offering a private shower head, C-shaped dinette, and L-shaped galley. With the 58 Epica, Fiart continue to believe for an owners room located forward, this looking to aft, with the head to the fore peak, and also making use of all the beam thanks to this arrangement.  A couple of builders have recently followed this trend in boats over fifty feet, which puts less effort on free-board height.  A crew cabin with separate entrance from the cockpit deck is located to port side and also features a shower head.   Power is from twin Volvo 700hp with IPS, the 58 Epica being the third Fiart to use the Swedish engine propulsion maker forward looking propeller pods.   

Technical Data:

LOA - 17.9 m (59.7ft)

Hull Length - 17.35 m

Beam - 5.16 m

Displacement - 24 t loaded

Fuel Capacity - 1960 l

Water Capacity - 680 l

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

Max Persons - 16

Engines - 2 x Volvo D9 700hp

Propulsion - Volvo IPS900 forward dual propeller pods

Construction - infusion process, with Carbon hardtop

Certification - CE B

www.fiart.com

Project: Marlow 61 Explorer Mk.2

Marlow is pleased to announce ongoing and continuous development upon its original series of explorer yachts, and presents the project of the 61 Explorer Mk.2.  Currently, the first 61 Explorer MK2 version of its popular 53C -61E series is under construction with a complete re-design while keeping the hallmarks of the original proven hull’s performance and sea keeping. She will make her debut at the 2012 Miami International Boat Show.  This new design features two massive staterooms below deck with a large foyer between the VIP and Master stateroom. This optional layout is perfect for the cruising couple who want to skipper their boat on their own along with having an occasional cruising couple on board. There is a crew quarter aft, with a double and single bunk, for those who prefer to have an on board captain and mate.  The salon is spacious yet cozy for very comfortable cruising and entertaining on board while the starboard built in desk allows you to continue your office work while away from home. The pilothouse station forward of the galley allows guests to gather at the settee with fold down leaf teak table for coffee and casual dining.  Her stunning interior will feature teak and holly high gloss floors throughout. The flybridge has an L shaped settee with BBQ cabinet offering another casual dining atmosphere.  For the tinkerers on board, there is a built in workbench and separate toolbox within the engine room.  Marlow Yachts enjoy the highest rating available under CE Ocean Class yachts but also feature “unrestricted navigation” certificates issued by Bureau Veritas.

www.marlowexplorer.com