Most sea trials of big, glamorous craft like this Sunseeker 100 Yacht take place in the Mediterranean for good reason. When the sun is out, the sea is flat and you're surrounded by beautiful scenery, it's hard not to fall for the charms of anything this large and luxurious. But the true test of a boat's mettle comes when the wind is whipping across the foredeck, the sea is a roiling mess and the sun is setting over a grey and foreboding Solent. These were the very conditions facing us as we set off from Southampton bound for Poole the evening after the Southampton Boat Show. A starker contrast to the boat's unveiling at the Cannes Yachting Festival almost exactly a year earlier would be hard to imagine but as the crew scurried around packing, wrapping and taping anything that wasn't already nailed down, we were excited to see how such a glamorous craft would cope when faced with such inhospitable conditions.
Before we get to that, though, it's worth explaining why the 100 Yacht makes such a tempting proposition for warmer climes. In contrast to rivals such as the Princess X95, WallyWhy 200 and Ferretti Infynito, which prioritise interior volume over exterior deck space, the Sunseeker 100 has a more even split between the two. It still packs a voluminous interior with that all-important main deck owner's suite, four further guest cabins and a raised pilothouse bridge, but it's the outside spaces that still shine brightest. That starts at the stern where the vast garage is designed to swallow a formidable arsenal of toys, including a Williams Sportjet 460, Sea-Doo GTX 255 jetski and a couple of Seabobs, but once vacated can also be converted into a sheltered beach club. Or you can close the garage door and deploy Sunseeker's clever X-TEND seating system as a pair of sea-level sunloungers or raise it up so that it becomes an extension to the aft cockpit.
CASCADING LEVELS
Esta historia es de la edición February 2024 de Motor Boat & Yachting UK.
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Esta historia es de la edición February 2024 de Motor Boat & Yachting UK.
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Lofoten or Bust- Part 4- Grandezza owner Per Harrtoft heads back to Sweden after an epic 3500nm adventure deep into the Arctic Circle to visit the mythical Lofoten islands
After ten memorable days in the Lofoten Islands in the far north of Norway, we are on our way back south towards Sweden. We have already made it as far as Trondheim, a charming place even if it was raining so hard we had to cycle round the city centre clutching umbrellas. But now we are back on board Deamare, our Grandezza 40 Fly, eating up the miles at a steady 31 knots.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YACHT TRANSPORT
As the name suggests it's a means of having your boat moved professionally from one location to another. It might be as simple as hiring someone to tow your RIB a few miles down the road or as complex as shipping a superyacht halfway around the world.
HANDLE A SINGLE SHAFTDRIVE BOAT PART 1
Single shaftdrive boats are relatively rare these days but the reduced costs of buying, servicing and fuelling such a simple but reliable drivetrain does mean they are making a bit of a comeback.
COCKWELLS MOTOR LAUNCH
There can be very few boats that have appeared three times at the Southampton Boat Show and been sold off the stand each time.
INSTALLING AN AUTOPILOT
Rick Channon makes solo boating simple with a Raymarine Evolution Autopilot
GOOD AS NEW
Why fit a brand new engine when Volvo Penta's remanufacturing service can rebuild you an old one to the same standard for a fraction of the price?
BENETEAU SWIFT TRAWLER 54
Alex Smith heads to France's Beneteau HQ for a UK exclusive on what might just be the best Swift Trawler yet
ΧΟ EXPLR 44
Can XO's all-new aluminium flagship really make it big in the Med?
BUYING OUR FIRST CLASSIC
Instead of whiling away their retirement playing bowls, Rob and Shona Adams decided to invest their time and money in a classic Silver gentleman's yacht. Would the gamble pay off?
PRINCESS S65
Torn between the V and F Class flagships? The new S65 might be the boat you've been waiting for...
