Motor Boat & Yachting January 2022

Adventure comes in many guises, but for me at least, the best adventures always involve getting afloat. Whether setting off across a lake for the first time in a 10ft dinghy as a nervous seven-year-old or setting off across the Channel in a 40ft motorboat as an equally nervous 47-year-old, the thrill of heading out into the unknown never fades. It’s that very unpredictability that makes boating such a pleasure and a challenge. So this issue we’ve tried to capture that spirit of adventure in every part of the mag, from the boats we’ve tested to the cruising features we’ve collated – plus a couple of unusual adventures of our own. The first involved a suitably bonkers attempt to circumnavigate the Isle of Wight during a F9 storm with arguably the…

The beauty of owning a boat is that in some way, no matter how small, every trip is an adventure. That feeling of cutting loose from land and the stresses and strains that reside there and focussing solely on navigating to the next destination, no matter if that happens to be across the bay or across an ocean. This shot of the Beneteau Grand Trawler 62 perfectly captures what makes boating so special, that ability to enjoy out-of-reach destinations in absolute comfort. With a range of well over 1,000nm at cruising speed, this is Beneteau’s most serious cruiser yet, as Jack Haines finds out in his test on p52. SEE MORE mby.com/bigpic…

Sunseeker has just revealed the first images of its all-new Predator 65. Sharing its hull and layout with the Sport Yacht 65 but without that model’s minimalist sportsbridge, it makes for an even sleeker, sportier-looking craft. In its place is a vast carbon-fibre and glass sunroof that slides back to leave a large opening over the main deck helm and living area for a truly open-yacht vibe. Despite the appeal of the Sport Yacht’s innovative supercar-style Skyhelm, Sunseeker says there is a loyal following out there that still prefers the purer profile and single-level living of the Predator version. It expects both models to sell in roughly equal numbers. There’s a lot going for the new Predator. Despite the lack of upper deck there’s still plenty of outdoor space at either end…

Solar powered catamaran builder, Silent Yachts, has started work on its largest yacht to date – a solar-electric superyacht called the Silent 100 Explorer. Designed by Marco Casali, this vast plumb-bowed all-composite model has an LOA of 101ft 8in (31m), a beam of 34ft 4in (10.46m) and a matching air draught of 34ft 4in (10.46m). In all it provides 1,130ft² (105m²) of outdoor space and a volume close to 440GT, much the same living space as a 45-50m monohull superyacht. The first one will sport around 40kWp of photovoltaic panelling that will feed an 800kWh lithium-ion battery bank. With twin 340kW brushless electric motors providing the thrust, a short-burst top speed of between 14-16 knots is predicted but it’s the yacht’s ability to maintain a six-knot cruise almost indefinitely in full…

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has published its report into the capsize of the outboard-powered Norman 18 Mk2 cabin cruiser Norma G in May 2020, which resulted in the death of a teenage girl who became trapped in the cabin. The incident occurred around 12.45pm on May 25 close to the mouth of the Camel Estuary, near Padstow, North Cornwall. There was little wind that day and good visibility, but a long 1.5m Atlantic swell was pushing into the estuary. The area is notorious for its unpredictable waves, especially in the shoal waters around Doom Bar. There were four members of the Davey family aboard Norma G – father, mother, son and daughter. Their early morning departure was from the Wadebridge Boating Club, which is around five miles upriver from Padstow.…

Sealine is to launch a new S390 model to plug an obvious gap in the former British brand’s Sports line-up. Based on the same platform as the C390 Coupe, it’s an open sportscruiser design that slots between the entry-level S335 and the S430. Like the rest of the range, the S390 was designed by Bill Dixon’s studio in the UK. Featuring a full-length hardtop, which provides shade for the whole cockpit, it has two opening sections that meet in the middle when open. The aft supports morph into side buttresses. A folding aft bench that converts to a sunbed avoids the need for a separate fixed aft sunpad and frees up space ahead of it for two big wet bars and an optional transom BBQ grille over the bathing platform. There’s a…