Motor Boat & Yachting

On the basis that variety is the spice of life, I reckon this issue must be the vindaloo of the boating world. I mean, where else can you read about a state-of-the-art electric foiling sportsboat one minute, a beautiful wooden river launch the next and an ocean-crossing trimaran the one after that? At the risk of mixing my culinary metaphors, I’d love to claim the credit for this smörgåsbord of boating exotica, but the people who really deserve the credit are the visionary designers who create them, the manufacturers who build them and above all, the customers who buy them. Without the latter none of these amazing projects would ever see the light of day. So before you settle down to read about these latest wonders of the maritime world, give yourself…

Among the many joys of piloting Candela’s new electric foiling C-8 are that it creates very little noise, almost no wake and zero emissions. In other words, all the things that used to irritate other water users, especially sailors, about motor boats are no longer a problem. As a result you can pass sailing yachts in a C-8 much closer than would be acceptable in any other motor boat without fear of upsetting their owners or their drinks; as long as you leave a sensible margin of safety, there is no reason for them to take offence. Whether said sailors also manage to hide the inevitable twinge of jealousy that accompanies the sight of the C-8’s occupants gliding silently past at 26 knots, immune to the vagaries of the wind…

THE EDITOR’S VIEW… After a tricky few years Fairline really seems to have found its mojo again and this new Targa 40 looks bang on the money. If it’s anything like as good to drive as the old Targa 38 or new F//Line 33 and they manage to keep the price within reach, I can see this being the boat that finally topples the Princess V40 from its pedestal. 1 EXCLUSIVE ALL - NEW FAIRLINE TARGA 40 Fairline has given Motor Boat & Yachting an exclusive preview of its all-new Targa 40 prior to a public unveiling later this month. The images reveal a sleek hard top sportscruiser that shares a number of design features with both the smaller F//Line 33 and the all-new Phantom 65 as well as a few tricks of its…

Easterlies are the bane of Torbay boating. With the Brixham-based South West Sports Boat Rally (sponsored this year by Aquaholic!) looming, forecasts were being scanned in earnest, and of course the joy of the internet is that if you don’t like one forecast, you can generally find another. Unfortunately this time all seemed to be in agreement, easterlies were coming. The only question was what wind strength and when? Force 2 is not a problem. Force 4 is. The Met Office was predicting wind strengths of Force 2 to 4, and building. The good news was that the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee gave us an extra day, so Marianne and I headed round on Thursday afternoon to join 20 or so other boats on the Events Pontoon. Sometimes the simple pleasures are the…

BLUE MARGARITA PORT SOLENT Blue Margarita might sound like a comedienne from the late night comedy circuit, but I have to say the humour was somewhat lacking when we arrived at this shiny Port Solent eatery. Maybe the server was having a bad day, but my request for lunch for two on the terrace was greeted with a look I can only describe as frosty. However, after scanning the dozen or so outdoor tables she graciously smiled and ushered us onto the decking. After that, everything was fine. Given that every other outdoor table remained unoccupied for the entire duration of our stay, I’m not quite sure what the initial problem was… In addition to the outside space there’s a large saloon inside which is tastefully decorated throughout, but when the sun’s out…

FAIRLINE PHANTOM 65 LOA 65ft 4in (19.96m) BEAM 17ft 2in (5.23m) ENGINES twin Caterpillar C18-1150 or C32-1622 diesels TOP SPEED 35 knots PRICE £2.05 million ex VAT CONTACT www.fairline.com While Fairline is planning to unveil a revised Squadron 68 in Cannes, the more noteworthy and radical World debut is likely to involve the new Phantom 65. Heralded as Fairline’s first ever ‘sportsbridge’ yacht, it aims to take the external form of the award-winning Targa 65 and add a low-slung fly deck to the mix for tri-deck flexibility alongside a beautifully streamlined sportscruiser aesthetic. With long, blade-like hull windows and a deep-set flybridge that blends gently into the curved roof mouldings as you move aft of the boat’s centreline, it’s clearly a success from a stylistic perspective. But the sportsbridge is still big enough to…