Pilothouse boats never used to be the sportiest of craft. Practical, yes. Seaworthy, yes. Good value, usually. But sporty? Not so much. However, change is afoot. In much the same way that boring MPV cars morphed into sportier SUVs, so wheelhouse craft are evolving into something altogether more dynamic. Axopar went a long way to changing perceptions with its 28 Cabin and 37 Cross Cabin but now Hydrolift has taken it one step further with the most extreme sports utility vessel yet. Not only is its latest craft called the X-27 SUV but with a claimed top speed of more than 70 knots (yes, you read that right the first time) the emphasis is firmly on the sports part of the acronym.
NEED FOR SPEED
Wisely, Hydrolift UK decided to order its test boat with a single 300hp Mercury Verado outboard rather than the twin 250hp or single 450R options but the spec still makes for tantalising reading. The slender twin-step hull has a knife-like deadrise angle of 24° while its sandwich construction keeps the weight down to 2,300kg. The hull is the work of Norwegian powerboat racer and Hydrolift founder Bard Eker and is shared with the S-26 open sportsboat we tested last year. Impressive as that boat was, the X-27 SUV is more intriguing, partly because it can be used all year round and partly because it doesn’t look like it should be capable of those speeds. Whereas the Brabus Shadow 500 Cabin screams performance from every pore, the X-27 SUV looks more like a run of the mill sports fisher in the mould of a Jeanneau Merry Fisher or Finnmaster C8.
Denne historien er fra January 2021-utgaven av Motor Boat & Yachting.
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Denne historien er fra January 2021-utgaven av Motor Boat & Yachting.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
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...
