Two models on the same hull

make for a fabulous comparison

When Viking Yachts introduced its 76 Convertible at the 2009 Fort Lauderdale Boat Show, the model created a ground swell of attention. With its raked stem and eye-pleasing sheer line, a teak cockpit, a tournament inspired flying bridge and a Palm Beach Towers tuna rig scraping the sky, there was no mistaking this yacht’s mission. She was designed to spend many lively hours in pursuit of big-game wherever they roam. But once aboard the yacht, show-goers found its stunning teak interior, a five-stateroom layout highlighted with a full-beam master suite, and an engine room revealing dimensions that would have you believe you were aboard a larger motoryacht.
Although Viking is a production builder, no two boats are exactly alike and that goes for the open and enclosed versions of the 76. Because virtually 90 percent of what goes into a Viking is made in the company’s 810,000-square-foot facility, ample customization is possible. However, mechanically many of the features are shared, such as chilled water air conditioning built around a split eight-ton system allowing individual thermostats for the staterooms and saloon. Want air conditioning on the open flying bridge? You can have it. Need air conditioning over the mezzanine in the 206-square-foot cockpit? Turn it on.

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The yachts also share Moritz OctoPlex master electrical control systems using touch screen monitors in the saloon and on the flying bridge. A hydraulic bow thruster is standard, as are two 32kW Onan generators. Both have Viking’s proprietary VIPER (Viking Independent Programmable Electro-Hydraulic Rudder) steering system, which eliminates the tie-bar and delivers independent rudder operation to optimize response and reduce drag. Veem Interceptor S-class propellers are quiet and a perfect match to the optional (add $540,000) 2,400-hp MTU engines that provide mid 30-knot cruise speeds and a top end around 40 knots. For the power hungry, you can step up to MTU V-16 Series 2000 M94 engines rated at 2,600 horsepower or down to the base 1,825-hp Caterpillar C32As. Both models share the same cockpit dimensions and tankage.
While it is easy to point out the obvious differences between the Viking 76 Open Bridge and Enclosed Bridge at the helm areas and saloons, it’s more fun to pick what works for your fish/lifestyle.
The Open Bridge is reached in typical fashion from the cockpit via an anodized aluminum ladder from the mezzanine deck. To assure communication with the cockpit, it features a compact center console-style command station about two-thirds aft. Its raised helm has adequate stowage for electronics, single lever controls with the bow thruster controls built into the handles, and three teak ladder-back Murray Products helm seats. Guest seating is provided on lounges to port and starboard, as well as forward of the helm. Built-in reversible jump seats provide vantage points to watch baits in the wash, and double as backrests for the lounges. A freezer and a refrigerator are standard. The lifestyle options here are a three or four-sided vinyl enclosure and air conditioning.
The Enclosed Bridge layout changes the feel of the boat from warrior to motor yacht. Accessibility to the bridge is via a comfortable staircase from the saloon, although the cockpit ladder remains. Here, the raised helm is forward, and electronics and engine instrumentation are always in clear view. Wrapped in black ultra-leather, the helm is stylish and practical. A stainless-steel destroyer type wheel, defoggers, windshield washers and wipers and a plush Stidd helm seat are standard. Port and starboard companion seats provide more good visibility and comfort for guests and stowage below.
With the helm forward, the area aft is essentially a second, fully carpeted saloon. An L-shaped lounge on a raised platform provides guests with great visibility, while the teak cocktail table adds to the convenience afforded by the hidden refrigerator. A 32-inch flat screen TV rises from the teak cabinetry at the touch of a switch and there is also a built-in stereo and CD player. A weatherproof lockable door leads to the aft deck with its additional seating and a pod-style docking station. For owners who like the enclosed bridge style, but also yearn to be outdoors on some days, Viking also can build the boat with its Sky Bridge helm station as a custom option. While there is no doubt that tournament fishermen prefer the Open Bridge, the Enclosed Bridge is being noticed by anglers like a goggle-eye attracts a sailfish and is winning converts among canyon fishermen and families. Interestingly, the cost of the enclosed bridge option and the tuna tower with vinyl enclosure option are almost the same, approximately $150,000.
Below in the beautifully appointed teak saloon both the Open Bridge and Enclosed Bridge feature the same L-shaped lounge to starboard with the galley and dinette forward. The day head in the enclosed model is slightly reconfigured and the 55-inch flat-screen TV is built into the wall of the staircase that faces the lounge. Aboard the 76 Open, the television rises from the port-side cabinetry on a mechanism that Viking builds in-house.
In accommodating its owners with outstanding choices on either model, Viking’s replacement for the 74 footer has hit a home run with customers. Clearly, the Enclosed Bridge 76 Convertible could convert a motoryacht owner who wants more speed and maneuverability, and the Open Bridge boat has the mettle to lead you to the Winner’s Circle or cruise the eastern seaboard.

In the Southern Hemisphere, we find another

Gold Coast and another take on the convertible.

I looked at the words printed on the itinerary and shook my head. Perhaps it was jetlag; it was the third leg of a trip that had taken me halfway around the world to learn about boatbuilding and boating in the Southern Hemisphere. I pointed to the words. “Arrive Gold Coast‚“ on the sheet of paper. “This can’t be right, I live on the Gold Coast,” I said to my host and seatmate Stephen Milne, director of brand and communications, who had accompanied me on this jaunt since Auckland.
“Yes, Gold Coast,” he said over the roar of the engines.
“But the Gold Coast is the strip along the ocean of elegant mansions, shabby chic beach communities and glitzy high-rises.”
“Yes, that’s Gold Coast.”
Seeing my confusion, he pointed out the window. That only made it worse. We were descending in the direction of a narrow strip of land between the ocean and a waterway. In the distance were beautiful beaches and shiny modern high-rises.
“My Gold Coast; Queensland, Australia,” he said. “Welcome to the home of Riviera Yachts.”

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This Gold Coast, not unlike southern California is a narrow coastal plain between mountains and the Pacific. Yet, because of prevailing easterlies, the land is lush and green. Crosshatched with almost 300 miles of canals and rivers, his Gold Coast’s waterways are equal to that of Ft. Lauderdale. Two rivers descending toward the sea long ago dug a channel to the ocean, creating a huge estuary behind the wide dune. Like the Intracoastal Waterway, it creates a marine highway.
With about 330 days of sunshine annually, it hosts Australia’s largest recreational boat building industry. The Gold Coast Marine Precinct in Coomera is a world-class hub and base for around 65 marine companies. Next door is the commercial center of the Gold Coast, Surfers Paradise where Miami Beach-style skyscrapers tower above a vibrant beach.
Like my Gold Coast, it is a 20th century phenomenon. Unlike South Florida, the Aussies seem to have kept a great deal of their waterfront accessible to the public. Even Riviera’s waterfront factory maintains public docks and a restaurant. After lunch with Riviera’s American-born CEO John Anderson, I learned that about the only thing that’s kept under wraps here is the design department.
Riviera offers lots of options; only the envelope is sacrosanct. Case in point is Riviera’s 51 Series II flybridge. Not only is it available open or enclosed with an internal staircase or an exterior ladder, Riviera has also created hull molds to accommodate either triple Volvo IPS drives or twin Caterpillar or MTU diesels with conventional shafts. While Hatteras invented the convertible sportfisherman concept, Riviera has exploited the livability of the form. Australians seem to love the luxury of cruising up high in the climate controlled comfort of an enclosed flybridge and then, when they get where they are going, it’s all about the cockpit and open plan saloon, which in most models, can open 75 percent of its aft bulkhead to the cockpit. The presence of fish boxes, bait tank, rod holders, rocket launchers, and tackle storage confirm the nature of the beast.
At Runaway Bay we boarded a new 51 enclosed with triple IPS 600s, the prototype for this layout and power package. Dealers and yard captains were still learning what it could do. With an eye to late afternoon storm clouds building offshore, one of the things this boat was going to do was keep us all dry. At idle or harbor speed when the joystick is in play, only the two wing engines are engaged. At 600 rpm, the boat nosed around its dockmates at 4.6 knots. Clear of the harbor, Capt. Andy shoved the throttles fully forward. Mentally, I prepared to be tipped backwards, my forward vision obscured by the bow jerking upward. Ah, the wonder of pod drives: Their vectored thrust eliminates most of that and the 51 was on plane at 15 knots. Wide open, the boat was running nearly flat at 33.8 knots burning 65.8 gallons per hour. Andy slowed the boat to his favorite cruising speed (25 knots/47gph) and handed over the helm.
The IPS drives are a perfect match for the lifestyle afforded by an enclosed flybridge; they are exceptionally quiet and provide extra room—in this case for a separate equipment room. The redesign moves the console forward and adds a secondary helm overlooking the cockpit for fishing and easy docking. This leaves plenty of room for a plush L-shaped lounge facing a high-low table and a service bar. A sliding hatch closes off the stairway for safety or to preserve night vision.
The staircase descends to the saloon right at the cockpit door and facing seating. A bar incorporating storage utilizes the space under the stairs. Forward, surrounded by windows is a dining area. The galley, two steps down, is a triumph of space planning. I was especially taken by its stowage capacity and by the placement of freshwater tank gauges and the watermaker switch here. The passageway to the staterooms descends three more steps with the ensuite master stateroom on starboard opposite a bunk stateroom; the VIP is forward. Instructing Andy to put the boat through turns and cross its own wake, I went below to check the availability of handholds and sturdiness of door and drawer fittings. It looks as if the skipper has gone mad, but in a calm sea, it’s the only way to find out if you and your stuff can get tossed about and how loud the living quarters are at fast cruise.
Andy had a curious look on his face when I finally reappeared on the bridge with my smart phone in hand instead of a notebook and gear.
“I have apps for inclination, speed, trim, direction, rate of turn and decibels. I even have the Navionics charts for Australia on my Al Capone (mobile). Now let’s chuck a uey (take a u-turn) and go have some stubbies (short beers). Oh, and Aussie Slang, there’s an app for that, too.”

Setting several precedents for her build team,

this sport yacht really flies high.

For a perfectionist boat builder, an experienced customer is the best kind of challenge; anyone can build a boat for a novice. So, when an experienced customer’s previous yacht was a custom, Dutch-built 150-footer built to full Lloyd’s and MCA classification, the bar was set pretty high. It was just the sort of project Ron Rookstool and his team at Sea Force IX had in mind when Ron began conceptualizing the yard’s first boat over 90 feet. Even a cursory glance at the boat’s basic specs showed equipment and/or systems shared by some of the world’s finest yachts.
This is the first yacht we’ve built that is over eighty-eight feet, so it is the first one that could be classed by ABS,” says Sea Force IX engineer Richard Hyer. “Mindful of that, we designed to that specification—or higher and we did it in a composite yacht with tight weight limitations to make sure we didn’t compromise speed.”

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The boat that became Flamingo Daze was created as a sport yacht rather than a sportfisherman. Following on the heels of 83.5 foot Rumbera created as a luxury sportfisherman for a seasoned bill fisherman, (SB August 2009), this boat is tweaked for cruising, albeit in the fast lane. At easy cruise—27 knots at 1,950 rpm—Flamingo Daze has a range of 800 nautical miles. Her top speed courtesy a pair of 2,400 horsepower MTUs, ZF gears and five-blade Veem props is 35 knots. What’s more astonishing for a yacht with three enclosed decks and a skybridge, she goes from idle to full rpm in 22 seconds. Thanks to Ron’s aggressive profile and superb integration of the skybridge, Flamingo Daze looks like she’s flying even when at the dock.
Stepping aboard the boat at main deck level, it’s immediately apparent just how much real estate this boat, with her nearly 23-foot beam, commands. Under cover on the aft main deck is space for eight people to dine. The massive teak wrapped cockpit is three steps below. Here are all the typical bits for fishing from fish boxes, to live bait well and from tackle drawers to fish cleaning station. But there are extra items here that reveal more information about the owners’ interests, particularly their passion for diving. A four-bottle air station for filling scuba tanks powers out from under the cockpit and a four-foot by 16-foot swim platform abaft the cockpit lowers hydraulically into the water, creating easy access for suited-up divers. On dive trips, the live bait tank can be filled with fresh water for rinsing masks and BC vests.
An active, young-at-heart attitude shared by the owner couple from Texas was what caused them to switch from megayacht to sportyacht. “They built the fifty meter yacht and did the Mediterranean thing and found themselves asking, ‘now what,’” said their captain of 10 years, Olav Hinke. “They wanted a boat they could enjoy closer to home and the draft of the old boat made cruising the Bahamas and the Keys difficult. Plus, the owner wanted a boat he could drive himself.”
At main deck, stainless steel and glass doors slide open at the touch of a button revealing an interior defining understated elegance. The multi-function saloon incorporates a TV lounge area, dining and a masterful galley. Miami-based architect Luiz de Basto designed the handsome décor. He utilized straight grain and crosscut gloss-finished pale anigre panels to create a subtle theme of squares with dark stained bamboo and ebony providing counterpoint. The intriguing wraparound face of the galley supplies textural contrast in a woven lattice design against a background of dark brown ultra leather. Brocade upholstery on the dinette and toe-spoiling silk and wool carpet provide luxury touches. In addition to the environmentally conscious solid bamboo floor in the galley, the countertops are a product called Trendstone, largely made of recycled glass.
A broad open staircase—another departure from the typical sportfisherman— invites guests below to the accommodation deck. There are just two guest staterooms off the forward corridor, one with a queen bed and the other with three single berths. Each features a large ensuite head. The owner’s full-beam stateroom forward is entered through double doors, and like the rest of the yacht, lavished in decorative wood joinery and woven leather trim. The theme established by the crosscut panels is amplified in a unique headboard comprising individual squares of dyed, painted and embossed leather.
Quarters for Olav and two crew are accessible from inside the yacht via a staircase off the accommodation corridor or through the engine room. The primary helm station is in the pilothouse above. Here a sleek console offers tremendous views over the foredeck. Five 19-inch monitors are fully integrated allowing any set of system monitors or NavNet 3-D functions, security cameras or even a movie to be called up on any screen via touchpads and a track ball. Several pieces of equipment requiring keypads are hidden in shallow trays under removable covers, creating an ultra clean display.
Behind the helm and its flanking guest seats is a lounge area also facing a large LED TV. Another pair of sliding doors open to the aft bridge deck with an additional helm station designed for docking or when fighting a fish. A ladder reaches upward to the skybridge. This says Olav, is where everyone wants to be—and it’s so large that everyone can be. Except for the center console style helm, the space is configured with two chaises and a large cushioned area. Brackets in the hardtop suspend a hammock that’s popular when at anchor.  Despite its altitude, high coamings and two-inch handrails make it very secure and a pair of Mitsubishi gyrostabilizers make it comfortable underway and at anchor.
Rather than rest on its laurels, Sea Force is raising the bar on the sportyacht concept—Ron already has a 94.5 in final design phase that will also include a skybridge.

Bravo 78 Sparks a Trend

On a picture-perfect day back in the late 1970s, I was having lunch at a picnic table, enjoying cool breezes off the Intracoastal Waterway within sight of the Palm Beach Yacht Club, when a new 130-foot motorsailer, Shango II, arrived at her berth there for the first time. She was a huge yacht for those days–the largest yet built in fiberglass–and created quite a stir, not just for her size and construction, but for the fact that she was built by Cheoy Lee.

Contact
Cheoy Lee
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
954-527-0999
CheoyLeeNA.com

The Chinese shipyard was little known in America at the time for anything other than production sailboats and cruisers of considerably more modest size, and for finish that was more utilitarian than yacht quality.
Within a couple years, as a designer for Jack Hargrave’s studio, I was working on designs for Cheoy Lee myself – 84, 90 and 103 foot motoryachts – and came to know the growing operation, and the family behind it, on a first-name basis. First in Shanghai, then in Kowloon and now in mainland China, the company has been owned and operated since its founding in 1870 by the same family.

The public face of the yard here in the States is But Yang Lo, an affable ambassador for the family and the company, who is known to all simply as “B.Y.” Fortunately, B.Y. was receptive to Hargrave’s constructive criticism. With the designer pushing and with B.Y. and his brothers pulling, it wasn’t long before Cheoy Lee had taken its quality to a new level, benefiting both the yard and the buyers of today’s first-rate Cheoy Lee yachts. The yard is now capable of building to all classification societies, including Lloyd’s.
If Cheoy Lee hosts an owner’s rendezvous, it will have to pitch a mighty big tent to house the wide range of vessels the shipyard has built over the past 140 years. Not just sailing and motoryachts, but fireboats, cargo ships, tugboats, ferries, and almost anything else that floats. There simply is no such thing as “a typical Cheoy Lee,” although of late the yard has developed several series of yachts that are more obviously related in styling and purpose.
The Serenity Series will soon offer four models (59, 68, 83 and 90 feet) with classic styling, including rounded sterns, designed for long-range cruising at displacement speeds. The Global Series, ranging from a 103 foot raised pilothouse model to a 128-foot expedition, anchor the upper end of Cheoy Lee’s standard models. Marco Polo, an award-winning 147-foot explorer motoryacht designed by Ron Holland, is a Cheoy Lee product with a green hull and a green soul created with cruising efficiency and environmental friendliness in mind. She was the builder’s 5,000th vessel. Construction of a second yacht of this design, with steel hull and foam cored composite superstructure, is nearing completion.
Perhaps best known and most mainstream of the current Cheoy Lee offerings and growing in popularity is the Bravo Series of sport motoryachts, ranging from 68 to 93 feet, all modern designs with clean lines and contemporary interiors. Southern Boating first presented our take on the Bravo 78 in the May 2008 edition, and a new issue with some slight departures delivered to her owners at the Palm Beach Boat Show impressed us all over again. The first of this series of yachts was designed by the late Tom Fexas and later models by Mike Burvenich, whose work preserves the essence of the series. The success of both the look and the boat’s performance has solidified B.Y.’s inclination to recreate the entire Bravo line-up of fast, sporty motoryachts in the 78’s image. They are spacious, elegant in a contemporary way and have excellent space planning for active family use.
Soon to be added to the Bravo Series is a new 68, replacing the current model of that length with an updated version riding on a wider hull (20’ 2”) shared with the 78-footer. The update retains the excellent navigational sightlines and the full-length sidedecks of the earlier model, as well as the three-stateroom arrangement below deck. There’s a spacious owner’s stateroom amidships, a VIP stateroom forward, and a twin-berth cabin to port. The owner’s stateroom is outfitted with a king berth and two hanging lockers while the VIP has an island queen. All three staterooms have ensuite heads with showers, and the owner’s large shower, at the center of the new his-and-hers head, cleverly conceals a hidden emergency escape door in the bulkhead it shares with the engine room.
The Bravo 68 is a boat that can easily be handled by a capable couple, but Cheoy Lee has included a compact cabin abaft the engine room. Upper and lower berths lie to port of a passageway from the stern platform to the engine room, and a head with shower is situated to port for ready use by both crew and swimmers. Thanks to the extra beam, the new design also includes a small crew mess.
The Bravo 88, based on a 22’ 6” hull, will be arriving in the U.S. in time for the Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show. As with her smaller sisters, she will feature an interior by Seattle-based interior designer Sylvia Bolton. The layout will accommodate eight guests in four staterooms, three of which are full beam, which will make for an excellent charter vessel. It has two separate crew staterooms aft. The entire series in benefiting from the builder’s use of High Modulus’ structural engineering expertise to reduce weight and improve hull efficiency throughout the speed range.
Whether you opt for the new Bravo 88 or want something a little smaller, or a little bigger, or a little different, or with a green hull, or with sails, the Cheoy Lee family of boats, yachts and ships is likely to have just what you want. If not, B.Y. is always happy to talk new designs.

This vibrant 16 year-old

knows how to reel in tournament wins.

You’ve heard the adage “like father, like son” spun over and over. However, this story takes a unique turn that accurately reads like father, like daughter. This new take on a long-standing cliché best describes the incredible father-daughter fishing team of Captain Ernie Portuondo and his 16 year-old daughter, Nicole. Together, they have charted an impressive course of tournament accolades along the South Florida waters, now fishing aboard a 35-foot SeaHunter center console.
It started when Ernie caught the bug for boating and fishing at an early age. Although his career path took him into the world of real estate and finance, Ernie’s love of all things water transitioned him into the marine industry with a successful stint at Allied Richard Bertram where he was both broker and tournament captain. This move allowed him to form his own full-service yacht and boat brokerage company, Mar Azul Marine Group of Coral Gables, Florida, and secure a dealership for SeaHunter. “I’ve known the Montalvo family for many years, so representing SeaHunter was a natural,” said Ernie. It was his daughter, Nicole, however, that took the business and the brand partnership a step further.

Always eager to fish with her father, a few years ago, Nicole realized she wanted to fish competitively and approached her dad about putting together a team . . . and her own center console. She likes the speed of the breed.
During her first contest, a school event called St. Thomas the Apostle Fishing Tournament, she caught and released a 55-pound sailfish.  “The second day we were looking for tuna, driving over big kingfish grounds and suddenly a sailfish came up. I fought it 3 times.” Her initial strike garnered a series of tournament awards including Top Female. “It was really exciting.”
“At my first actual sailfish tournament (the Sailfish Kickoff), the seas were really rough,” Nicole said. “It was a little traumatizing, but it paid off. I won Top Junior Angler and some prize money.” Following her initial full season in 2007, Nicole acquired a bounty of points to finish second Junior and fourth Female in the World Billfish Series (WBS) Southeast Division.

And it was the love of billfishing that lured her into the tournament big leagues. “I kept going with it…kept fishing more and more tournaments,” she added. During the 2008 Sailfish Kickoff, Nicole carried away a trio of Top Overall awards including Amateur, Female and Junior Angler along with First Place Amateur Team honors by scoring ten sailfish releases.
It was time to trick out Nicole’s SeaHunter, yes, the 2010 SeaHunter Tournament 35, outfitted with twin Mercury 300 Verado engines, belongs to the record-setting Nicole. And while getting to the fish first is high on any angler’s priority list, Nicole wanted to get there via a dynamic statement: the boat is dressed in an pink photo wrap. “I wanted it to be something that everyone would notice,” she laughed.
Although SeaHunter  has a 40-foot tournament  model and this spring added a 37-footer, the 35T continues to be the builder’s most popular model. The boats are hand built of Kevlar, Core-cell foam and vinylester resin and vacuum bagged for stiffness and weight control. The hull begins with an almost extreme 60-degree entry, broadening out to a 24.5 degree deadrise at the stepped transom. Twin 48-gallon live wells, large fish boxes and more rod holders than any team could ever fill signal the boat’s intent.
Along with Ernie and Nicole, the team comprises Mario Mendez, Ross Jimenez and Juan Luis Diaz, Chris McNeal, Danny Ayo and Capt. Eric Johnson. Team Mar Azul, has completed its third year and placed in the top ten for 15 of their 23 tournaments with a trio of first place finishes. While Ernie has twice placed in the Top 20 Anglers in the WBS Southeast Division, his most remarkable accomplishment is guiding his daughter to the top of the fishing charts. “My dad inspires my fishing talents,” the high school sophomore says. “I practice a lot and I have a great, supportive team.”
Last year Nicole celebrated her birthday by competing at the Yamaha Contender Miami Billfish Tournament. She rounded out a perfect day by scoring 1,400 points to garner the prestigious Joan Vernon Top Female Award. Her participation in the Captain Bob Lewis Billfish Challenge last year netted First Place Amateur Team.
Wrapping up the 2009 season, Nicole captured Top Ranked Junior and Female in the WBS. Her exceptional skills have caught the attention and respect of fellow competitors. “It feels good to know that I can take down some of the guys. I think they respect me for what I do.”  While competing at the Mayor’s Cup Tournament earlier this year, Nicole was edged out of the Top Overall Angler spotlight by just a single fish. With six releases, she settled for Top Female and Top Junior honors.
Nicole’s next goal is to top her 2010 World Sailfish Championship performance (Top Junior and Top Female) with an overall win next year, and she seems to be heading in the right direction. From his vantage point, Ernie sums it up by saying, “It’s a total honor and privilege to be fishing with my daughter.”

Three small boats that you’ll love to sail, daily

Daysailers have been around since the invention of recreational sailing boats—which some ascribe to the Dutch gift of a “jacht” to King Charles II. Heretofore, sailing boats were working boats.  Many notable builders tried their hands at the genre, perhaps none more successfully than the late Tom Morris who adorned his M36 with attributes that made it a semi-custom production boat with a yacht quality finish. It was rigged to be comfortably sailed by one or two people and had a large cockpit for socializing. It was a fine yacht upon which one might undertake a civilized adventure, if you will. Daysailers are built to one rule: Have fun, easily—above all else. Ideally, they set-up and put away fast. In between there are more smiles per tack than aboard boats twice their size. We look at three boats of this ilk that are directed at the gentleman, or lady, sailor. They all have auxiliaries, useable interiors, a plumbed head, and at least enough varnished wood to maintain interest. Each of these semi-custom boats will most assuredly quicken the pulse with either a glance at their lines or by their performance, or both.

e33

The e33 is from the pen of Jeremy Wurmfeld, late of Sparkman & Stephens, who collaborated with sail maker Robbie Doyle, an America’s Cup and Olympic veteran, to co-found e Sailing Yachts. Their express purpose: “to bring a new kind of sailing experience to market, creating a line of yachts that our clients would take pure delight in racing and sailing, every time.” Their self-imposed brief was to build boats that do not compromise performance and speed for stability, comfort and ease. The e33 posses all of the numbers that say she’s fast. An upwind  SA/D ratio calculates to 25.97 and puts it in the high-performance racer category.

On the water she lives up to the numbers. In a light Miami breeze, the boat moved spritely. Easily rigged, it has the amenities that will make it appealing to sailors of any skill level. There is nearly six feet of deck abaft the mainsheet that serves well for relaxing after or during the race—depending upon the commitment level of the crew. Forward of the traveler is a 16-foot cockpit. There is plenty of room below for comfortable overnighting for two, four if you’re friendly. A carbon-fiber mast with spreaders sweptback at 29 degrees eliminates the need for a backstay and makes room for its 247-square-foot flat top mainsail. The sails are easily raised and trimmed without winches, and if it gets breezy, the top of the mainsail will twist off, depowering the sail. The headsail is on a below-deck furler whose lines run beneath the deck to the cockpit.
If sales numbers are an indication of comfort then the company hit that mark as well. Since 2007, eboats has built 19 e33s. Recently it announced that all subsequent hand-laid-up boats would be built at Lyman-Morse, one of the top custom yards in North America; hulls 20, 21 and 22 are currently under construction there.  The e27 and e44, also under construction at L-M, are slated for 2011 introduction.

Alerion Express 33

Pearson Composites builds the hull and deck of its Herreshoff-inspired Alerion series yachts utilizing SCRIMP infusion over an end-grain balsa core. They make 38-, 27-, and 20-foot models as well as the 33-footer ( 25 have been sold since its introduction in 2007 ). Jeffrey Leach, owner of Express 33 hull number eight, stepped up from a 28-footer to the 33—his “first big boat.”  While the 33’s lines are stunning and there is just enough exterior teak—the toe rail, the grab rails, the cockpit coamings (teak decks are optional)— to keep one’s eye on the yacht for longer than most would typically gaze at a 33-footer.   The aesthetics are only part of what drew Jeff to the boat.

“I wanted a wheel,” he admits. Electric winches allow all sail handling to be manged from the aft-cockpit helm and all of the lines are led under deck to the helm. The cockpit can easily seat six while he tends the helm. Most of his sailing is singlehanded and he loves not only the way it sails “like a dream, with the [Hoyt] self-tacking jib boom,” but he also has high praise for the builder’s customer service. Soon after he took delivery the company resolved a problem with a peeling boot stripe by trailering the boat back to Rhode Island for the repair.
The boat’s SA/D rato is 22.69, putting it midway in the racing category. Jeff said that the boat performs best between 8- and15-knots of breeze. The carbon-fiber rig swept-back spreaders hoists a 495-square-foot main, with a large roach afforded by the lack of a backstay. With the jib boom adding off-wind power, this self-tacking rig projects more sail area than most ordinary rigs with a 150-percent genoa, says the builder.
Recently, Pearson introduced the Alerion Sport 33. It’s tiller steered and weighs 700 pounds less then its predecessor. It retains all of the Express 33’s good looks and sleek lines, it’ll just be faster.

Morris M29

The M29 comes standard with three days of private instruction from a North Sails University coach. That’s thoughtful and sure to help the new buyer get the most from his or her Sparkman & Stephens designed yacht. The M29 is easily driven in a light breeze, such as we had on Biscayne Bay. It was enough, though, to sweetly demonstrate the CKL (Cuyler’s Kite Launcher) bow deployment system and fly the gennaker with exhilarating results.
Named for the company president—who borrowed the idea from the Dragon class—it permits one to launch and retrieve the sail through a foredeck hatch into a below-deck sleeve. Once thought to be too messy for singlehanded sailing, the gennaker is tamed by the CKL, making it fit for the breed and adding to the fun factor. Winches are replaced with multi-purchase lines and, combined with the self-tacking furling jib, sailing the M29 is a snap.

Weight containment was a top priority. Construction is of 100-percent vinylester resin-infused fiberglass over a balsa core, a carbon mast and rudder help with the weight saving. Though its spreaders are swept back, it relies on a backstay to support the mast. The total upwind sail area is 395-square-feet, giving it a SA/D ratio of 23.6, putting it firmly in the racer category.
Below, with a 6.5-foot settee on either side, there is room for two to overnight or nap underway. It is the shortest of the builder’s M-series daysailers, which includes the M36, M42, and the most recent launch, the M52. Five of the 29-footers have been built since its introduction in February 2009, making the M29 a popular boat. Sail it and you’ll  know why.

The newest and smallest Chris-Craft
inboard is a delight for all the senses.

Chris-Craft

Has been building well executed pleasure boats for longer than the lifespan of anyone reading this issue of Southern Boating magazine, (since 1874). The latest additions to their model range are fully in keeping with the Chris-Craft tradition of delivering pretty, meticulously finished, high-value recreational boats.
Every one of the seven new Chris-Craft Sport Boats we evaluated on a recent Friday morning in Sarasota, Florida, was a clearly valuable addition to the model line-up. All seven boats carried an identical message to the potential buyer: Chris-Craft intends to keep its tradition for building some of the finest looking boats on the water. All of the boats—the outboard powered Catalina 26, the startling 20-foot Lancer (with its custom trailer), the 20-foot Silver Bullet, the, 20- and 28-foot Launches, Corsair 25 and Corsair 28 share a number of critical design and fabrication characteristics; the fit and finish of every part of each boat, including those not normally open to casual inspection are first rate and so are the individual components. Better yet, the boats are fun at WOT!

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I devoted most of my evaluation time to the 20-foot Launch, which offers the advantage of a bow-rider configuration in a boat that looks like anything but, and can tow skiers and wakeboarders. At the Miami Show, this boat stopped people in their tracks. Everything about the boat was “right.” Everything fit perfectly, every detail was right-on. The helm seating position was comfortable and provided an excellent view of the instruments, while assuring the helmsman of full visibility.

The foam-filled structural liner made the engine noise level pleasant, regardless of the setting of the exhaust by-pass control. The sturdy windscreen provided an undistorted view. I took the boat out onto Sarasota Bay and made a series of runs at both partial and WOT, which was 4,950 rpm. The boat’s response was predictable at all times; it went where directed with no hesitation. With a fine bow and 20 degree deadrise at the transom, crossing our wake at speed and dealing with the chop on the open waters of the bay were non-events, in fact we collected hardly any spray on the windscreen. Equally nice is her fuel burn of 8.1 gallons per hour at cruising speed.
For a dayboat, the provision for on-board stowage is excellent. There is room for both a cooler and waterskis in bins below the cockpit sole.  The engine compartment is well designed to provide access for inspection of fluid levels and maintenance, with high quality hardware in evidence everywhere.
Sometimes a small element defines an entire boat. In the case of the Lanches, the stainless steel windscreen frames fulfilled this role. They were a delight to hold on to, made from precisely finished castings providing the kind of sensual delight delivered by the high quality hardware found on some classic cars. Matching stainless handholds for passengers were properly placed and augmented by handholds integrated with the tops of the forward seats developed for the larger Corsairs.
The smallest of Chris’s open-bow series, this boat is designed to bring elegance to a new generation.

Scout blurs the line between
center console and cruiser

The new Scout 345XSF definitely has a wow factor—think cruising luxury in a center-console fishing boat. The range of options should please everyone, whether they are die-hard fishermen, sport divers or just sunbathing cruisers. Plus, it just looks fast!
Scout Boats, based in Summerville, South Carolina, spent 18 months on the research and design for the new 2010 model, integrating the latest technology and a host of amenities into its creation. From the double lounge seat complete with armrests in the bow to the comfortable helm seats and retractable sun awning aft, you feel more like you’re on a sport cruiser.

Dave Wallace, Scout’s general manager, explains that the concept “is to be more than a fishing boat. We like to be in the forefront of creative boating ideas.”
Those ideas start at the transom with an integrated door that doesn’t look like an add-on. The transom platform, nonskid with a teak option, extends across the stern so no one has to step on the engine rigging or down into a well. Along with an Armstrong swim ladder, it makes a great set up for diving or water sports.
Another unique feature in the center of the cockpit is an “under deck systems station,” a relatively spacious watertight compartment containing bilge pumps, the optional generator, oil systems, etc.  It allows easy access for service and some additional storage.
Scout’s patented, powder-coated, rigid T-Top with glass enclosure looks sleek. Its swept-back Euro-style flows with the lines of the boat. It houses an optional fiberglass sunshade that deploys out over the cockpit at the touch of a button. Electric-powered outriggers on the T-top are also an option.
The helm area features two adjustable Airmar custom vinyl helm chairs that fold up to provide leaning bolsters. For the shorter driver, a fold-down step for increased height is offered.  In a compact space, the tilt steering wheel and engine controls are easy to reach while the instruments are easy to read. Electronics, of course, can be customized. The helm seats are separated by a console glove box that has a 12-volt receptacle and cup holders. Picture yourself ensconced in the comfy seats one evening with the courtesy lights twinkling under the gunnels, the Kenwood stereo system playing, the air conditioning (yes, AC is an option) cooling as you wend your way home after a day on the water.
Forward of the console is an eye-popping cushioned double sundeck lounger, a great place to relax. The seat lifts to reveal a large locker where dive tanks could easily be stored. The seating around the bow also has storage underneath with separate lockers that could be used for coolers. More storage under the bow deck includes room for a battery located for the optional bow thruster as well as the recessed windlass.
Step through a door on the port side of the helm and you’ll be surprised by the cabin under the lounge seat that features a double berth with a fold up Corian table and a small galley area with a microwave oven, an icebox with a Corian counter, a porcelain sink, and a head. The space is so well laid out it doesn’t seem cramped, especially with natural light from port and starboard windows.
But Scout hasn’t forgotten its base; it’s gone over the top to accommodate fishermen. Start with the standard 60-gallon transom fish box that can be customized with a freezer. A 60-gallon bait well is also an option. Two seven-foot fish boxes are recessed in the deck on either side of the cockpit. The aft-facing seat behind the helm has five rod holders above it and sliding tackle drawers and a bait box below it. Tournament fans can replace the seat with a bait prep station and a fighting chair is possible. A locker recessed in the starboard side of the helm station is designed to store lines, a gaff and cleaning supplies.

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Beyond function and luxury, the most exhilarating feature of the 345XSF is  performance. With twin 350 Yamahas, the boat accelerates quickly and smoothly…so smoothly that you only realize the difference between 40 and 60 mph by checking the instruments. Scout’s characteristic stepped hull jumps on plane, keeps the bow up and the boat dry. The deep-V hull really carves into a turn. This is so like driving a sports car. In the calm harbor, our top speed was 63 mph. The sweet spot for cruising is at 3500 rpm where the boat runs about 29 mph at 1.22 mpg. With 300-hp engines she still turns 55 mph WOT and still gets better than a mile per gallon, proving efficiency can come in a pretty package.

Power-cat hull number two

for Sunreef seals the deal.

Almost a year after the launch of Sunreef’s first power boat—the 70 Sunreef Power Expedition—the Gadnsk, Poland, builder launched hull number two of its 70-foot power cat series. This is significant for the builder, who, since its founding in 2000, had developed a reputation for building sailing catamarans—29 of the 34 yachts Sunreef has launched to date. There was the occasional dalliance with a monohull, even a 50-foot power boat was in the mix, proving the yard’s ability to build any boat. Now, 60- and 80- foot power cats are in the works.
Sunreef’s stated objective is to create unique custom-designed yachts where every aspect of the boat’s design is extensively researched and studied. This will ensure the perfect layout and exact features fitting the client’s lifestyles, aspirations and travel plans. In the case of Sea Bass, the research resulted in a dual-owner version to accommodate Dave Muzzo and Cam Chalmers, business partners and friends from Dallas, who decided on a power cat after being impressed with a Sunreef sailing cat a the Miami boat show. “We’re not sailors,” explains Dave.

Instead of a single, large owner’s cabin on the wing deck forward of the wheelhouse, there are two equal-size ensuite master cabins that offer great sea views forward and plenty of room. The location is excellent; from anchor or underway the views forward are those expected of an owner’s suite.
Two roomy mid-ship cabins, (port and starboard) also with ensuite bathrooms feature large six-pane windows in the outer hulls. The beds face outboard giving reclining guests a view of the sea, while filing the suite with natural light. Rounding out the accommodations is a fifth cabin, starboard side aft, that is used by the captain and his wife, who is also the chef. All cabins are air-conditioned and equipped with LCDs and DVDs.
The galley is located down and aft in the port hull. It is fitted with all necessary appliances and equipment such as a large fridge, freezer, dishwasher, ice maker, electric oven, microwave with grill function, and lots of storage.
On the main deck the saloon is in essence two areas in one. To port is a casual  lounge area. It’s the social center with a large bar, small fridge and sink. A large 52-inch HD flat screen TV and Harman-Kardon Hi-Fi system add the perfect finishing touches to the entertainment system. Starboard is the seating area with Alcantara covered couches.
Overall the décor is contemporary, with a decided minimalist bent. The saloon combines dark wenge with Finnish birch and silver grey Alcantara upholstered seating.
A few steps up from the saloon, the wheelhouse is at once business and pleasure. The helm to port has an observer seat in addtion to the captain’s chair, and provides access to the flybridge; relaxation becons in a spacious lounge area to starboard.
The large 320-square-foot aft cockpit sports a generous dining table, wet bar and sun-lounging pad. Wide transom steps ending in dive platforms makes the stern a social center as well. In the cockpit and the saloon, discrete LED lighting creates an intimate ambiance during late evening, enhanced with halogen lighting by Underwater Lights Limited that ring the vessel’s hulls.
Sea Bass is equipped with the highly innovative NavyBus electrical distribution system by Navylec enabling control of all interior and exterior lighting via remote control. Given its range of 300 meters, the captain will be able to amaze guests by activating impressive lighting sequences from the beach or dock and create a spectacular display of light and color. The system is based on remote intelligence, with no centralized power distributed via a communication bus it guarantees reliability, high durability, and lower energy consumption.
The massive flybridge rivals those of 100-foot motoryachts. A large composite hard top with a sun roof shields the helm, seating area, and dining table.  Sunbathing space is plentiful, while a PWC crane sits discreetly alongside the four-person Jacuzzi.
A wet bar with icemaker, sink, fridge, and an electric and regular barbecue complete the ammenities. Although it will charter as their schedule allows, these owners know how to use the boat. They love fishing. Not only is that reflected in the yacht’s name but also in some of the gear.

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“Our fishing setup is working well,” says Dave. “We have two rod holders on board for trolling.  They are attached to the railing at the back corner of each side down in the cockpit area.  We are considering adding one up at the back of the flybridge.  We also have some light tackle on board for fishing when we are anchored.”   Sounds like there’ll be a lot of fresh fish aboard.
They do enjoy the water. Witness the Opacmare composite hydraulically operated diving board that extends out from the flybridge’s centerline. One meter in length, it extends out past the stern over open water, because that’s where the fun is.  Dave says, “We haven’t used the diving board all that much because we haven’t been in real warm water yet.  I suspect we will use it quite a lot in the Caribbean.” Which is where life will take Sea Bass after the 2010 Fort Lauderdale boat show.
Sea Bass will charter through Sunreef Yachts Charter, sunreef-charter.com, for U.S. $41,400 per week

Vicem’s 54 IPS is a look into the

future of the successful Turkish yard

Viewing  Vicem’s 54 Classic IPS floating dockside at the Miami Yacht and Brokerage Show, the profile alone was enough to make it stand out among the other yachts on display. If that didn’t arouse attention, its stark white appearance distinguished it from the rest of the builder’s flotilla. “We did things on this boat that we were going to do in the near future, but the owner’s request got us to do them sooner,” says Alberto Perrone Da Zara, Vicem’s CEO.
The most obvious difference, noticeable when boarding the boat, is the lack of varnished wood on the exterior.

Alberto says that the owner requested a zero maintenance exterior. Of course, being a boat, no maintenance translates to low maintenance. Gone were the teak decks, dark hull and the varnished toe rail, trim and hand holds along the cabin top. The stark white of its Awlcraft finish, though common for other builders, is a switch for this Turkish yard. The only remaining vestige of Vicem’s trademark teak and mahogany treatment were the cockpit sole, a varnished mahogany cockpit table and some mahogany trim around the aft entry door that seemed to be sneaking out from the interior.
The owner, Turkish by birth, now living in the United States, is comfortable with design. He brought those sensibilities to other changes he requested in his boat, such as the cabin profile. “He wanted the coach roof to cover the cockpit,” says Alberto. To accommodate and balance the new look, the deck house is set farther back. With a helm door on the starboard side—making deck access convenient when docking—this puts three windows along the cabin side, a single vertical window in the door and larger ones forward and aft. This, too, alters the profile.
Another big change was to the propulsion. This is the first VIcem to feature a pair of Volvo 900 IPS drives. They not only improve the operational and economic characteristics of the boat, but the installation also frees up interior space. The engines, mounted farther aft than a conventional installation would allow, enables a large machinery space between the engine room and the accommodations. The change from shaft  drive also permits an amidships master stateroom with a king size walk-around bed—pretty cool for a 54-footer—of course it is ensuite. The other two staterooms, a twin to port and a VIP in the forepeak, share a bath.

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Across from the master suite, the galley stretches out along the starboard side.
Absent is a vertical refrigerator; instead there are four Sub Zero drawers; as requested by the owner’s wife. The ottoman in the saloon is something she had a hand in as well. The top turns over and becomes a serving tray on the opposite side from the cushion. Inside is wine storage.
Other interesting features include: The starboard armrest of the transom settee lifts to reveal helm controls. This means that the boat can be operated from outside on the aft deck, where it affords the helmsman unfettered visibility when backing into a slip.
Per the owner’s request, the dinghy stores on the coach roof, in secure chock mounts.
Along with changes to the layout, the interior finish has a considerably different look than the standard Vicem. “Our core business has been high gloss mahogany,” says Alberto. That changed with this 54-footer as the owner wanted something a bit less glaring and requested a satin finish.  Alberto pointed out that as Vicem is a semi-custom yard, his wishes were willingly accommodated.
In fact, look for a different kind of yacht from Vicem in the fall, at the Fort Lauderdale show. That’s when the yard will introduce its 78 Cruiser to the U.S. market. Consider that it will be sporting an anigre wood interior, making good on Alberto’s promise. Although anigre is of the mahogany family, it is a much lighter wood than Vicem has used in the past.
Alberto says that the 54, although not the largest Vicem built, is the builder’s flagship—not in size but in the look and vision for Vicem Yachts. Look for the satin finish interior, and with different woods, to show up more frequently. IPS drives and low maintenance exteriors will also be featured on future Vicem yachts.
The love affair with Vicem continues for the 54’s owner, he sold the yacht and is awaiting delivery of his new 56-foot Vicem. It, too, will have IPS drives.