For a brief period from 2012 to 2015 Finnish brand XO was the brightest star in the Scandinavian sportsboat firmament. Its vinyl-wrapped deep-vee aluminium hulls matched to powerful engines and bulletproof build made for some of the toughest, fastest and sweetest-handling craft around. In the May 2015 issue of Motor Boat &Yachting the diminutive XO 250 ran rings around the combined might of an Axopar 28, Draco 27 and Paragon Ranger 25, even though we gave the final nod to the Axopar due to its superior cockpit layout and value for money. It was a telling moment as in the years that followed Axopar sales rocketed while XO sales stalled, partly due to a change of ownership at the yard and of its UK distributor.
Now it is back with a vengeance, boasting a reinvigorated model line-up, more user-friendly cockpit layouts and a new UK dealer in Ideal Boat. The 260 DSCVR is a perfect example of XO’s new, innovative approach. Measuring just over 26ft but with a considerably wider beam and higher freeboard than the waif-like 250, it feels like a significantly more substantial craft than its predecessor.
Denne historien er fra July 2021-utgaven av Motor Boat & Yachting.
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Denne historien er fra July 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...
