Out From The Crowd

The sunseeker manhattan 66 is different by design.

- Alan Harper

They say that good design is design you don’t notice, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that design you do notice is bad. Sunseeker’s brand-new flybridge creation, the Manhattan 66, has clearly enjoyed the attentions of a studio full of talented designers who wanted this model to be unique.

The first thing I noticed was how big she is. We were in Mallorca’s swish Port Adriano marina, which has been carefully over-designed by none other than Philippe Starck, with streetlights like enormous standard lamps, trees in giant flower pots, and mooring bollards that will slice through your warps in a week. Moored next to older Sunseeker models, it was clear that the new Manhattan is both wider and taller than its earlier siblings, but there is nothing forced or bulky about its look. Those dramatic window shapes are more than a distraction for the eye, for they effectively reduce the yacht’s apparent height while also toning down an acreage of white fiberglass that could otherwise be deafening.

Height and width are tricky to handle if you’re trying for a sleek and sporty look, but once inside they are exactly what you want. It is much easier to create a spacious interior if you’ve actually got some space to play with, and the 66’s vast windows on both decks and 6-foot 8-inch headroom through the saloon and galley will make you think you’ve strayed aboard a 75. Of course, there are elements of expectation management, but they’re subtle, like the low-profile furniture on the main deck to maximize sightlines, and the berth in the master —if it were any wider than 5 feet it would start to get in the way. And although the guest singles might also be narrower than the ones you have at home, they’re still a full 6 feet 4 inches long. You shouldn’t get any complaints.