The 40th annual Palm Beach International Boat Show starts Thursday and runs through Sunday. With demand for new boats of all sizes still setting records, this year’s show, celebrating its 40th anniversary, has $1.8 billion worth of boats of all sizes, from 8-foot tenders to superyachts. Palm Beach will also have multiple US and global debuts. Here are eleven newcomers.
-
Benetti ‘11.11’
Image Credit: Courtesy Y.CO Owned by British real estate mogul Nick Candy, the 206-foot Benetti named 11.11 will be the Palm Beach show’s biggest and most expensive offering. How expensive? Brokers Y.C.O. have it listed for a non-trivial $71 million.
The story goes that the young property developer acquired the superyacht back in 2014 after the original owner walked away just 10 months before completion. Not happy with the original layout—the tender garage had been set-up to accommodate a Rolls-Royce Phantom—Candy masterminded a last-minute redesign and interior makeover. Today, the Art Deco interior is still lined with art from Candy’s personal collection, and includes pricey pieces from Tracy Emin, Hans Kotter and photographer David Yarrow. No word as to whether the art is included in the sale.
-
Sunseeker Predator 65
Image Credit: Courtesy Sunseeker Yachts One of the UK’s leading motoryacht builders is making Palm Beach the global launch point for its muscular Predator 65. It shares the same hull as Sunseeker’s Sport Yacht 65, but instead of a flybridge has a huge carbon-fiber top and glass sunroof. Powered by 1,000-hp Volvo IPS-1350 pod drives with joystick control, this new Predator reaches a top speed of 40 mph. A recent video of the yacht on sea trials shows impressive 0- to 40-mph acceleration in 30 seconds. The three-stateroom layout, all with en suites, means there’s room for up to six. This Predator also has an extra-wide tender garage and cool-looking wave-shaped hull windows.
-
Rossinavi ‘EIV’
Image Credit: Courtesy Allied Marine Less than two years after the rakish, 160-foot all-aluminum tri-deck superyacht EIV hit the water, she’s hitting the market with a $40.94 million asking price. Built for a US client by the Italian superyacht yard Rossinavi, those sleek, stunning lines are from the drawing board of Enrico Gobbi’s Venice-based Team for Design studio. The stainless-steel-grilled axe bow is a piece of art. Inside, EIV sleeps up to eight in sumptuous luxury with the entire yacht decked-out in high-end fabrics from luxe brands like Hermès, Rubelli and Armani Casa.
A pair of 2,600-hp MTU 16Vs can punch the shallow-drafted yacht to a top speed of 19 knots, and take her over 3,600 nautical miles between fill-ups. If you’re wondering what EIV stands for, it’s short for E-Four, as in an automobile’s electronic four-wheel drive system.
-
Westport ‘Tintin’
Image Credit: Courtesy Fraser Yachts The latest in Westport Yachts’ successful W 112-series should have been off cruising the Caribbean right now, following its launch late last year. But a change of plans prompted the owners to put a “For Sale” sign on the bow and secure a slip at PBIBS. The appeal for a new owner? Getting a virtually brand-new yacht, with the bugs sorted—the 112-footer cruised on its own bottom from the Pacific Northwest, through the Panama Canal to Palm Beach—and without the typical two-year wait. But be prepared to love bright colors. Tin Tin‘s interior is a mass of vibrant hues, bold, textured finishes and wild pop art. The hand-painted blue sky and puffy-cloud mural on the master cabin ceiling is a delight.
Fraser Yachts has her listed for $17.5 million.
-
Princess V50 Yacht
Image Credit: Courtesy Princess Yachts Another key British-built cruiser making its US debut at PBIBS is Princess Yachts’ 52-foot V50 coupe. Evolved from the previous-gen V50, the deep-V hull and deck have been re-shaped by the builder’s design team, with a little help from design collaborators Pininfarina and Olesinski Naval Architecture. Now there’s an extra set of steps from the swim platform into the reconfigured aft cockpit, and an elongated canopy for extra shade over the back deck. As with the previous generation, there’s an enclosed salon version with sliding glass doors, along with an Open model with a canvas enclosure. Changes to the helm include new sportscar-like bucket seats with Bentley-style diamond-quilted leather, and a futuristic “floating” dashboard. Above is the absolutely huge, three glass-panel sliding sunroof that floods the salon with light. Power is a pair of 480-hp Volvo IPS 650s that deliver a 37-mph top speed.
-
Sirena 68 Yacht
Image Credit: Courtesy Sirena Yachts The Turkish builder is giving its Sirena 68 Flybridge a US debut at PBIBS. Since the 68-footer’s unveiling last fall in Europe, more than 26 hulls have been sold and the yard is booked to the end of 2023. Not surprising considering the styling of this yacht, with a 70-foot LOA, comes from the drawing board of Dutch designer Cor D Rover. It also has a new hull design from naval architect German Frers. The boat will have a top speed of 32 mph with twin 1,000-hp Volvos. The 68, with its extended flybridge and generous outdoor spaces, has a choice between a standard three-cabin layout, or optional four-cabin format with separate crew quarters.
-
J Craft Torpedo
Image Credit: Courtesy JCraft Swedish classic boat builder J Craft is sticking a toe in the boat-hungry American waters by showcasing, for the first time, its stunning 42-foot Torpedo at PBIBS. Inspired by such ’60s wooden-boat legends as Riva’s Aquarama, the Torpedo mixes olde-world craftsmanship with modern tech. Each of these mirror-varnished jewels of the sea takes an entire year to build. Powered by Swedish Volvo Penta IPS drives giving 60-mph performance, the Torpedo has space for 10 to tan in comfort, with a leather-lined cabin below that’s spacious enough for four for an overnight at anchor. J Craft says it is taking a “strategic approach” with its Palm Beach show participation with a view to offering a custom-spec US version of the roughly $1.5 million Torpedo by early next year.
-
Rossetti ‘Emocean’
Image Credit: Courtesy Camper & Nicholson You won’t find any glove-soft leather or cushy fur throws on Rosetti Superyacht’s first explorer yacht, the 125-foot Emocean. Those fabrics on the sofas, and rugs on the floors? All made of recycled plastic pulled from the ocean. Dubbed as the first vegan superyacht, the interior design is the work of Italian studio BurdissoCapponi, who created the furnishings for the yacht’s vegan owners, who insisted on no animal products. The eco-friendliness also applies to Emocean’s efficiency. While there are no hybrid features or banks of solar panels, the twin fuel-sipping 800-hp MAN diesels give the yacht a 5,000-mile cruising range at 11 knots, consuming just 16 gallons an hour.
-
Grand Banks GB85
Image Credit: Courtesy Grand Banks Here’s a bold claim from Singapore builder Grand Banks Yachts: Its brand-new 85-foot flagship GB85, making its global debut at PBIBS, will use 50-percent less fuel than any other motoryacht of the same length—by requiring half the horsepower to achieve the same performance. Grand Banks says the motoryacht’s reduced weight comes from the carbon-fiber hull and superstructure. Its V-Warp semi-displacement hull design is also designed with a smaller footprint, letting the GB85 slice through waves at a 24-mph cruise speed with minimal wake. Engine choices include twin 1,000-hp Volvo IPS pods, or a pair of 1,300-hp MAN V8s with straight shafts. The builder is offering either a closed Skylounge or open flybridge version, with accommodations for up to 10.
-
Sailfish 316 Dual Console
Image Credit: Courtesy Sailfish Boats Doesn’t every family fun boat need a “sandbar cooler” built into the swim platform? It means anyone swimming or floating around the stern can help themselves to a cold one without having to clamber back in the boat. It’s just one of the many noteworthy features of Georgia-based Sailfish Boats’ new 316 DC dual-console making its debut at PBIBS. With its windshield, and sliding glass door (instead of the typical, unwieldy flip-over panel), the 316 offers easy access to the bow seating. The hardtop also delivers excellent protection from the sun while providing additional fishing rod holders. The rear cockpit hasseating for eight, and is available with a galley/wet bar with wine cooler, fridge and sink. Power is either twin 300-hp or 350-hp Yamaha or Mercury Verados. With the standard 300s, the new Sailfish can hit a top speed of 52 mph.
-
Outer Reef 900
Image Credit: Courtesy Outer Reef Yachts Taiwan builder Outer Reef is showing off the new flagship in its rugged, bluewater X Class explorer series, the 900 Motoryacht. At 90 feet, it’s the biggest Outer Reef to date. It was commissioned by a US cruising couple who wanted to step up from their Outer Reef 700, with larger interior space. In other words, they wanted to move from a large motoryacht into mini-megayacht territory. With its 21-foot beam, this 900 has room for six in its three double cabins, including an apartment-sized full-beam master. Designed for long distance, off-the-grid cruising, the salty, trawler-style 900 has twin 750-hp John Deere 6135 diesels give it a top speed of 24 knots. Throttle back to around nine knots and its range is over 3,000 nautical miles.
