Way back in September 2018, we staged a group comparison test between three 28ft sportsboats: an Axopar 28, a Nimbus W9 and a Cormate T27. At the time, the Cormate seemed like the outlier. Equipped with a modest 250hp V6 sterndrive engine and curvy retro styling, it looked on paper to be underpowered, outdated and overpriced compared to its more modern outboard-engined rivals.
It was only when we got behind the wheel that the picture changed. The T27 was by some margin the most fun to drive and the most capable in the rough and even though it was considerably more expensive than the 300hp Axopar, it looked and felt the most special of the three. In short, it punched well above its weight and remains seared in our collective memory as one of the most entertaining boats we have ever driven. So when we stumbled across a brand new T28 model at the Southampton boat show last September, it got us thinking. Could this boat be even better than the original T27 or had it lost some of its magic in the intervening years?
NORDIC ROOTS
For those unfamiliar with the Cormate brand, the company can trace its roots back to 1985 when founder Egil Ranvig launched Hydro Design to develop a new range of affordable sportsboats under the Hydrolift brand name. His fast efficient hull designs soon caught the eye of powerboat racers and before long, Ranvig was producing everything from centre-console leisure boats to high-performance racing cats. Ranvig sold the business in 1999 and after a brief period building and selling a new range of RIBS under the Stormway name, he set up Cormate with his old Hydrolift colleague, Frode Svendsen. Their stated mission was to produce "quality boats with excellent seaworthiness and timeless lines but with a revolutionary layout adapted for today's lifestyle".
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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...
