The Jacksons with Milli Vanilli.
by John Curnow, Global Editor, Powerboat.World 25 May 2022 08:00 UTC
Pardo 38 was proud and majestic, despite the weather © John Curnow
Weird and scary thing is, they'd probably sell tickets to that concert...
Anyway, for us there was no moonlight, maybe some boogie, certainly a few good times, but definitely no sunshine. So accordingly then, we'll just have to, Blame it on the rain.
The distinct lack of suitable and amenable weather for the 2022 iteration of the Sanctuary Cove show all conspired to make me think a lot about day boating. You know, maximise the opportunity, keep it easy, skedaddle out and have fun, blast back in, hose off, lock up, and you're gone. All the gang, no need to cart around more than is needed, a bathroom, tunes, screens, connectivity, fish if you can, cook it when you land it, fridges loaded with good times - you got the picture.
Peter Hrones of eyachts said, "Sanctuary Cove Boat Show was the premiere of the Pardo Yachts range, and we were finally able to welcome Australians onboard the 38. Those who boarded were drawn to the quality, and Italian design of the vessel."
"From first glance, many made remarks about the functional entertainment spaces on deck, but after stepping below, many were surprised by the spacious two bedroom layout and head. Pardo Yachts are making a huge splash in the walkaround day boat market, and are now the fastest growing brand in this sector. Eyachts are excited to have another Pardo 43 landing in Australia in a few months."
Please see how the Pardo 38 should be used. There is a walkthrough video, and finally, inshore and offshore with the Pardo 38.
Bringing the X-Power.
Several sailing brands have made significant steps into the powerboat market. Denmark's X-Yachts is one who has been very successful with that broadening of offering. The range features inboard (Yanmar sterndrive) and importantly, also outboard power, and goes from the 33C to 40R, and 45T, all pursuing a sleek, Euro feel, and oodles of practicability.
Getting X-Yachts Australia back to where it belongs - as the leading premium European yacht brand in Australia - is the clear goal of Kevin Wallis, the Managing Director of X-Yachts Australia. They are based in Sydney, with sales and service partners in Melbourne, Perth, and Brisbane.
"We are inspired by the history of the brand, the proven performance, and now the unique combination of unsurpassed luxury, safety, after sales support, and the camaraderie of being part of the X-Yacht's family globally", said Wallis.
"After 40 years of world-class design in performance yachts, we have designed a fleet of power boats firmly aimed at the quality conscious boater. Like all of our yachts there is no compromise on safety and quality."
The X-Power 33C was launched in 2021 and the first one of these has just landed in Australia. It comes standard with a Yanmar 9LV 320hp engine, with options for 350 or 370hp, and this enables speeds in excess of 40 knots. A bow thruster is also standard to enable easy docking.
By way of example, the standard high specification includes two 16" Simrad screens in front of the three pilot chairs, and CZone is standard on all X-Power vessels. Should you not be familiar with the latter, it is a digital switching system that monitors and controls all vital functions of the boat. When boarding, one switch will power up all the lights, main breakers, navigation and autopilot. It is very much akin to the modern car or high-tech house.
There is a double cabin below with toilet and shower, and up on deck there is also a fridge/freezer, cooktop, hot and cold water and a moulded-in sink. There is seating for eight, plus the three facing forward at the console.
Of course, if you are into it, and you know I am, then the X-Power range is all resin infused and then oven baked to deliver the lightest possible weight, maximum strength, and uniformity throughout the structure, which means it will be good now, and well into the future.
If you're not into that, then the ability to offer foil wraps straight from the factory, as well as paint in any colour imaginable, means your X-Power could be just that. Yours!
"They certainly are very well specified as standard, but I think nearly everyone is going to be impressed by the patented Petestep® technology that offers a softer, more comfortable, quieter and very stable ride with increased fuel efficiency for the diesel engine. (Ed. Think of it like as set of cascading deltas.) It requires up to 35% less energy to propel the boat, and no matter where you are and what kind of boating you do, that's good for everybody", said Wallis in closing.
Just as impressive as the actual items they are named after - Fjord
Having grown up with a Fjord 30 Weekender as one of the vessels my family enjoyed, you could say I am both partial to the brand, and well and truly indoctrinated into the dayboat/weekender thing. (And you'd be right...)
They may be much down the Centre Console path now, but amenity, open spaces, style, usability and performance certainly have remained. The new Fjord 41 XL is definitely a case in point. The XL stands for Extra Large, which refers to the volume of the vessel as pertains to deck space and also down below.
To get a handle on it all, I spoke with Anthony Bishop of Windcraft Yachts, who secured the coveted distributorship just over a year ago. "There were some 40 Opens dotted around the country over the last while, and our 38 Xpress has just arrived, but has now just been sold to Perth. The owners look forward to blasting out to Rottnest Island, where there can be choppy conditions, so a fast, sporty, safe vessel that is not dragging too much furniture around is a real bonus", said Bishop.
"Over the last 12 months there has definitely been a lift in demand for dayboats. Many clients have told us that they have had a big whatever, but never slept in it, so want to sell it, and go out Dayboating, where the emphasis is on fun, maybe stay overnight, and then come back."
"Fjord has been an iconic brand for so long, and our new 41 XL due to arrive soon was ordered as a stock boat, but this too has also been sold, and is going to call Mosman on Sydney Harbour its new home."
"Hanse have sold a lot of 40 Open craft, and wanted to redesign this size bracket, and make it very next generation in the process. The Dayboat concept remains, but the interior was totally redeveloped, with a focus maximizing the use of space throughout. It has the equivalent space of a 44, by way of reference."
Fjords have definitely been a bit of go-to choice for discerning buyers the world over, and parent company Hanse took this notion to heart when creating the 41 XL, for they realised there were a myriad of uses their craft carried out. For this reason, they developed the new boat with customisation as a cornerstone.
"There are nine different deck layouts for instance", said Bishop. "From sunbeds to coffee tables, floating seats you can use in the water and then remount when you leave, and even an executive dining table. There are various galley layouts and down below you can have lounging, an office, even take the galley down below, and your choice of one or two cabins, serviced by a five-star bathroom. One area can even be a massive storage locale for all those water toys."
A lot of places around the globe are now about getting out of the sun, at least some of the time. For this reason the Fjord 41 XL has an XL T-Top that is not only long, but goes out wide to the gunwale, courtesy of the integral targa bar. "The new 53 XL will have the largest T-Top in production", added Bishop.
The 41 XL has either Volvo or Yanmar sterndrive power, which affords shallow water operation and light beaching. The one on its way to Australia is matched to a pair of Yanmar 370hp V8s. "We have more Fjords for our customers in the queue, and interest remains in other models like the 44, and the new 53 XL. Indeed, Hanse group has its biggest order book of all time. The focus is absolutely on making it happen for those customers already in line", said Bishop in closing.
Like the name says - Solaris - it is all about being Open...
Yet another yacht manufacturer that has gone into power is Solaris. I love these ones because of the bulwarks and walk around decks, along with a Euro chic, and yes, that does mean curves. It is definitely Italian, and at the helm, I was sort of going with old school Lambo (say Espada), and absolutely Alfa Romeo Giulia GTAm. Love it.
The Open 44 is well and truly quick enough at 37 knots WOT, and the one on display at Sanctuary Cove had been tweaked with a duck tail 'spoiler' if you will on the trailing edge of the T-Top, and this in turn connected well with large aft awning on the de rigueur carbon poles. In all it added great protection whilst cooking and over the sunbed that covers the garage/lazarette.
Matthew Curtin-Andrews from Prestige Sea and Air commented, "The Solaris Power 44 Open represents the new way of luxury day boating in Australia. This versatile boat allows you to experience the best of both worlds with either a day on the bay, or safely cruising to your favourite offshore island for a quick getaway."
"Boasting a two-cabin layout with air-conditioning, a large outdoor kitchen with a barbeque, ample refrigeration, icemaker, premium sound system, and plenty of storage for the ultimate day or night entertaining experiences."
Whilst reviewing the Solaris 44 Open and talking with Matt, we evaluated the perfect Gold Coast, Sydney Harbour, or Rottnest Island experience, and I got completely lost in Capri, Elba, or Sardinia, to say nothing of tiny little coves on the East side of Corsica. Curtin-Andrews closed by saying, "Definitely tailored for the modern fast-paced lifestyle, where you take your boat out on the weekend to relax and recharge, before heading back into the action." March on, hey. March on...
Short by name. Long on service.
Ryan Short of Short Marine commented on their very new Regal 38 SAV, "The boat literally arrived on Wednesday and went straight into the show. There are another two on order to arrive later in the year, but this one is the only one of the three available, so jump in pretty quickly, as it too is bound to find a home soon."
"The Regals all have a very high specification, straight from the factory, and the 38 SAV definitely underscores that. Apart form the triple 300s for wonderful performance, there is a gyro stabiliser, Garmin displays, and is effectively a full turnkey solution once landed. We are very excited by this brand and this model."
"The 38 SAV is the ultimate dayboat for Queensland, and can still be a weekender as well, with fridge freezer, a genset, 240V BBQ, bow and aft shades, as well as being able to fish from it, with a live bait well all part of the package. You can also walk around the vessel on the one side, to aid with the overall amenity. She is at Short Marine at Runaway Bay for both viewings and tests."
Both a fantastic dayboat, and the ultimate fishing weapon, the Valhalla V 37 was also at the show. "This one is sold, and has a lot of extra gear on board, all done by Short Marine in house, such as electric teaser reel, gyro and bow thruster, and a full Garmin electronics package including radar and forward looking infra-red camera, as well as the very stylish Release Marine seating throughout", said Short.
For reference sake, Valhalla boats really are at the zenith of the totally galactic sportsfishing centre console market that seems to need new superlatives laid its feet every single day. Also, Valhallas are built by the world's largest and leading sports fishing boat builder in Viking. Then there's the kicker, as Short says, "There's possibly no quicker boat in the country to get out to the Continental Shelf and back, as she will do 62 knots WOT, with a 35-40 knot offshore cruise pace." QED me thinks.
Take Two
For those in the Southern Hemisphere, and should you have missed the show, or elected to stay away because of the precipitation, then Ensign Yacht Brokers are holding European Yachts Showcase at The Quays Marina, 1856 Pittwater Rd, Church Point NSW 2105, on Sunday June 5, 2022 at 2-6pm. You can both see all the vessels on display and register here. You never know, it may even be sunny! Now there's a reason worth going for, in and of itself.
Two of the gems to be featured then, and that also tie in well with the theme of this little dittie are the Rhéa Marine 23 Open, (the brand also has a 32 Open that is right in line with this selection), and the Timonier 730 is also on display. The latter is the La Rochelle based company's adaptation of the fishing trawler, but with the ability to have the bow out and get a wiggle on. Because of their enclosed cabin practicality, this too is a class of vessel gaining wide appeal the world over.
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John Curnow
Global Editor, Powerboat.World