BOAT SHOW ΒΟΝΑΝΖΑ

September saw two of the year’s most important shows take place and, despite less-than-perfect economic backdrops and challenging weather conditions in the UK, most of the big yards reported impressive forward order books and resilient new boat sales.

SUPERHAWK SIBLINGS

Sunseeker has released renderings of two new models based on the same hull as its top-selling Superhawk 55. The Predator 55 is a sleek coupé sportscruiser while the 55 Sport Yacht adds a discreet upper sportsbridge. The former is slated to make its public debut at next September’s Cannes show, while the latter is pencilled in for the Düsseldorf show in January 2025.

NEW SQUADRON STEALS THE SHOW

Fairline’s all-new Squadron 58 was the undisputed star of last month’s Southampton Boat Show.

BOAT CUISINE

The English Riviera has a new restaurant for boaters. Phil Sampson headed west to be one of the first through its doors

THE WORLD'S COOLEST BOATS

RED JET 7 - COOL RATING THE NEXT BEST THING TO A RED ARROW

BUYING A USED...SARGO 31 EXPLORER

Surprisingly, many used boats are offered for sale without the degree of preparation most prospective purchasers would reasonably expect.

SAFETY UPGRADE

Solo boater, Gilbert Park, safeguards his fun with a new MOB alert

CRUISING CORSICA

Harry Metcalfe heads south for a magical week among the cruising grounds of Corsica

HOW TO MAINTAIN A SMALL OUTBOARD ENGINE

With winter approaching, now is the time to give your tender’s outboard engine some TLC. These tough little workhorses don’t need much in the way of maintenance but they all suffer from lack of regular use and a few simple steps now can prevent a lot of frustration next season.

QUARKEN 27 CABIN

Can Quarken's new Cabin variant match the award-winning T-Top? We head to Finland to find out

SAVING BREDA

Desperate to impress his dismissive father, Alain Lamens sold his house to restore this stunning Dunkirk Little Ship

SAY 42

If weight is the enemy of speed then this feather-light new sportsboat, from the man who crafted carbon-fibre mouldings for McLaren supercars, will leave competitors in its wake

IT'S A KIND OF MAGIC

PART THREE David Vandyke's decision to enter a boatshare syndicate was fuelled by his longing to reignite the wonder of childhood. Did it succeed, or did the reality of luxury yacht ownership bring him back to earth with a bump?

AEGEAN ADVENTURE

In an attempt to escape the relentless Meltemi wind, Thomas and Jutta Kittel take a detour through the more sheltered Saronic Gulf, discovering some hidden gems along the way

BEST OF CANNES

From superyachts and speed machines to cruisers and cats: 19 of the hottest new boats launched at the show

SARGO 45

Alex Smith joins the Sarin family for a sea trial of Sargo's biggest ever pilothouse cruiser

FIND ME A SECONDHAND...RIVER BOAT

Offshore boats can certainly venture upstream, but dedicated river boats are optimised for inland cruising. So this month, we are back on the river, decked out in a straw boater and striped blazer, glass of Pimm’s in hand (once safely moored for the afternoon, of course).

BUYING A USED...GRANDEZZA 34

With more than 76,000 islands, 56,000 lakes and 300,000 kilometres of coastline, the Finns are never far from water. Unsurprising then that they should make best use of it, with traditions ranging from the downright peculiar (eg: washing their rugs in the brackish water of the Baltic) to building some of the finest vessels afloat. In fact, the nation’s boatbuilding prowess knows no bounds; from the 250,000 GT Icon of the Seas passenger liner right the way down to Finnmaster’s petite 5.5m Husky R5.

LIFE ON THE OPEN ROAD

Andrew Wilson-Bett explains why trailer boating is the best fun you can have

BUYING A FLYBRIDGE CRUISER

Henry Firman trawls Europe's best shows in search of a new boat

HOW TO BERTHA PILOTHOUSE BOAT

Look around any marina in the UK or abroad and you will almost always see a fleet of small pilothouse motorboats dotted around the pontoons.

WORLD'S FASTEST NELSON?

I’ve always had a thing about Nelson 40s. The first one I bought back in the mid-1980s was an ex-Abu Dhabi police launch that could only be described as a wreck. I found it lurking at the back of an industrial boatyard on Hayling Island. In fact there were two of them but one had a Nelson- shaped hole in the side from a previous encounter with its stablemate. Even the undamaged one was in a right old state; the hull was delaminated, the superstructure was rotten, it was full of water and none of its systems or fittings were salvageable – not even the machine gun mounting points on the flybridge and foredeck. More’s the pity – there were times when they could have come in handy on a summer’s day in the Solent!

BALLISTIC XP80

Is Ballistic's new XP80 really \"The Ultimate Adventure RIB\"? We head to Trafalgar Wharf in Portsmouth to test its mettle

AEGEAN ADVENTURE

Thomas and Jutta Kittel continue their cruise from Albania via Corfu to the Ionian islands of Lefkas, Sami and Zakynthos

JEANNEAU CAP CAMARAT 10.5 CC

If you want a boat that can do it all, the flagship centre console model from Jeanneau's famous Cap Camarat line might be just the thing

THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY.

With the level of boating luxury he desired out of his financial grasp, David Vandyke had resigned himself to a boat-free life... until he read an MBY feature about shared ownership

BOAT CUISINE

Ever heard of a huffer? Nor had Phil Sampson, but he has now!

SUNSEEKER SUPERHAWK 55

After a 14-year hiatus the Superhawk is back this time tapping into the trend for luxury open dayboats. But does the go-fast spirit of the original live on? Editor Hugo gives his verdict

FAIRLINE TARGA 43

It’s not often we feature two models from one manufacturer, and especially not from the same model line but this Targa 43 shows just how far Fairline had progressed the Targa line by 1997, when this model launched. Whilst keeping the open cockpit ethos (now lost on the latest Targas – every current model comes with a hard top) this is a larger, more sophisticated boat than its forebears.

THE MAREX FACTOR

Richard Hall organises an owners' trip to the Marex factory in Lithuania