Scandinavia has a reputation for building some of the best small to medium sized boats in the world. Brands like Windy, Targa, Nimbus, Marex, Sargo, Grandezza and Nordstar all trade on their Scandinavian heritage as evidence of their functional design, robust seakeeping and high quality build. By and large the reputation holds true thanks to the challenging sea conditions around Norway, Sweden and Finland where all these yards are based. But there’s another Scandinavian country, which for some reason rarely features in motor boat building circles Denmark.
That's something which Danish brothers Carl and Oscar Rand are determined to change. In 2014 they co-founded Rand Boats to manufacture a range of sustainable electric boats for city-based boat rental company GoBoat. Their first model, the Picnic 18, was a runaway success with over 350 sold and while electric power remains at the core of its offerings, the range has now expanded to cover a much broader spread of craft and powertrains. In fact by 2023 it hopes to be building at least 1,500 boats a year from a brand new production facility in Croatia and by 2030 it plans to have 26 models in the range, all of which will be powered by electric motors alone.
It’s an ambitious goal for a relatively young company but Carl and Oscar are confident they have the products and the strategy to get there, so what is it that makes Rand Boats special and do you have to be a river-based eco-warrior to appreciate them? To find out we arranged to test a Rand Leisure in the choppy coastal waters of Poole Bay, Dorset, and rather than sea trialling one of the quiet but range-restricted electric versions, we opted for the full-fat 350hp 6.2-litre petrol V8 model.
ROOM FOR ALL
Denne historien er fra May 2023-utgaven av Motor Boat & Yachting UK.
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Denne historien er fra May 2023-utgaven av Motor Boat & Yachting UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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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...