Motor Boat & Yachting December 2021

SEE MORE mby.com/65sy SEE MORE mby.com/cand Wow! How did that happen? Last time I looked electric boats were largely a pipe dream, in as far as the ones that did exist were slow-moving river launches owned by pipe-smoking gentlemen of a certain age. Now it’s the opposite; the latest generation of electric craft are futuristic speed machines using computer-controlled foils and sustainable hull materials styled by trendy product designers to appeal to young, wealthy technophiles. And while I am none of these things, I am totally smitten by the sheer ingenuity of them. I managed to sea trial two of these new electric sportsboats at the recent Cannes show – the Candela C-7 and Vita LION. Each of them offers a very different take on the same day-boat theme; one uses carbon foils…

At first glance it could be mistaken for a brochure shot from a certain well known Italian brand – the retro styling, the alpine lake setting, the white wake streaming out behind – all that’s missing is the sound of a big V8 echoing off the hillsides. Because contrary to expectations this isn’t a classic Italian craft at all but a brand new Austrian one and the engine isn’t a petrol V8 but a state-of-the-art electric motor fed by a powerful lithium ion battery. The Marian 760 Laguna is one of a growing breed of fast, stylish, desirable electric boats that prove you can buy a genuinely exhilarating electric sportsboat. You can see more of these game-changing craft in our A-Z Guide of Electric Boats starting on p81.…

THE EDITOR’S VIEW… As an inherently sceptical journalist I rarely believe the hype peddled in press releases but having now tested the Candela C-7, I genuinely think the C-8 could be a breakthrough model for electric boats. Candela is hoping to revolutionise the market for electric boats with a larger, 28ft cabin version of its radical C-7 foiling sportsboat. The C-8 uses a development of the active foiling technology pioneered on the C-7 but fitted to a longer, wider hull that has been engineered for mass market production. This means that even though the C-8 is a substantially bigger, better equipped, more comfortable weekender, it’s only marginally more expensive than the custom built C-7 and on a par with premium petrol-powered weekenders of the same size. Prices will start at €290,000 ex…

Boat shows are back! After the fracas of last year that saw the open air Southampton Show cancelled by a nervous local council, there was some trepidation amongst all involved. The organisers insisted on everyone taking a lateral flow test, which involved getting free testing kits and entering the serial number into a Government website to obtain the necessary negative confirmation. You could even swab yourself first if you wanted to. Cannes Yachting Festival wanted a vaccination certificate, proof of a negative test within 72 hours (a proper, PCR test) or the result of a positive RT-PCR or antigen test attesting to recovery from Covid-19. Once the paperwork was out of the way, however, it was business as usual. Flags fluttered, visitors thronged and the sun shone – marvellous! For Aquaholic,…

TRINITY’S @THE LIGHTSHIP HASLAR Tony Blackburn was never my cup of tea. Sorry, Tone, but you always served up far too much cheese for this restaurant critic. The reason I bring up his name is that on entering Trinity’s restaurant, the visitor is confronted by a collection of black and white photos of Radio Caroline, the ship-based pirate radio station where Mr B graced the airwaves before becoming the voice which launched Radio One. A sudden rush of panic came over me – would that wall-to-wall grin be staring down on me as I dined? Fortunately it was not to be and the images of the pirate radio station which changed the face of broadcasting are there to be enjoyed rather than put people off their food. Given that Trinity’s is located aboard…

LOA 26ft 2in (7.99m) BEAM 9ft 7in (2.95m) ENGINES Single/twin outboard up to 400hp TOP SPEED 40 knots PRICE FROM £160,000 inc VAT CONTACT Moonraker Yachts +44 (0)1202 133291; www.deantonioyachts.com There are four versions of the D28 and two of those were on display at Southampton: the Open and the Cruiser. The Open is a full walkaround design with a heads compartment in the console and an optional T-top for shelter, while the Cruiser features a wraparound windscreen and a cuddy cabin with separate bathroom. The same hull and the same neatly disguised outboard propulsion, but two very different boating experiences. The styling of both models is a little challenging but, designed in Spain and built in Poland, quality appears very good indeed with even the heads in the console of the…