The Motor Boat and Yachting team are lucky enough to test some fabulous motor yachts. Testing the fastest motor yachts, capable of 40 knots + is always a thrill
If you’re searching for the fastest motor yachts on the market, look no further. We’ve handpicked 5 high-performance motorboats that each hit — or exceed — the thrilling 40-knot mark. From sleek sportsboats and aggressive aluminium cruisers to luxurious offshore performers, we’ve tested a range of boats that deliver blistering speed, precise handling and head-turning style.
Whether you’re a thrill-seeker chasing adrenaline on open water or a seasoned cruiser wanting to cover ground quickly in supreme comfort, these 40+ knot yachts prove that you don’t have to compromise performance for luxury.
We’ve tested each of these boats first-hand to give you real-world insights into how they behave at speed, how they handle demanding sea conditions, and how they stack up against the competition.
Read on for our roundup of the most exciting fast motor yachts we’ve tested — from the punchy Windy 29 Huracán to the formidable Otam 90 GTS — and find out which one might just be your perfect high-speed escape.
5 top 40+ knot motor yachts
Windy 29 Huracán
It’s clear that the Huracán is a fast, fun, capable boat. The real question is whether it’s worth the premium cost? Prices start at £215,168 ex VAT for the 430hp petrol model, while our test boat with the 440hp D6 and all the key options comes to £286,000 inc VAT.
That’s a lot for a 29ft sportsboat but thanks to its premium fit out and build quality as well as its superior cruising range, fuel efficiency and comfort, it can justify it. Throw in Windy’s traditionally strong residual values and the argument looks settled. If you can afford the outlay, you will reap the reward for years to come.
LOA: 29ft 3in (8.91m)
BEAM: 8ft 10in (2.70m)
DRAFT: 3ft 3in (1.0m)
DISPLACEMENT: 3,400kg
TOP SPEED: 43 knots
Otam 90 GTS
In the capable hands of the man who knows her best, her captain during our test, we arrived at a set of numbers for the 90 that gives a reasonable reflection of its capabilities as a fast cruising boat, not the least of which was its impressive 43-knot top speed. Cruising at 35 knots is a perfectly realistic prospect.
Handling was exemplary, and the boat proved pleasingly responsive to helm and throttle inputs – and to drive trim, of course – with just the right angle of heel and a gratifyingly tight turning circle.
The breeze had raised a light chop of two or three feet in the Baie de Cannes, and while we couldn’t claim to be unaware of it – hitting anything at 40 knots is bound to make a bit of a bang – the hull remained sublimely untroubled as it charged over the top of it all. As did we.
It was a fun ride, aboard a genuine party boat. The only thing we didn’t try out was the sound system. The captain assured me they never crank up the volume unless they are literally the only boat in the anchorage. It really is that loud.
LOA: 91ft 0in (27.75m)
BEAM: 19ft 7in (6.00m)
DRAFT: 5ft 10in (1.80m)
DISPLACEMENT: 6,500kg
TOP SPEED: 43.4 knots
Nord Star 33
Outboard-powered offshore pilothouse cruisers like the Nord Star 33+ tend to split opinion. On the one hand, those twin 400hp V10 outboards tap into modern (and particularly, modern American) appetites, transforming the 33+ from a relatively traditional offshore pilothouse cruiser into something that looks and feels very ‘of-the-moment’.
On the other hand, it’s likely that, however effective the outboard model proves to be, the inboard diesel variant will remain the chief attraction in UK waters
If you’re looking for a 35ft offshore pilothouse boat, this is an easy candidate for your shortlist. Our only doubt relates to the whole concept of outboards on a boat like this. Here, for instance, in addition to eradicating most of the swim platform and relocating the best part of a tonne further away from the centre of gravity, it ramps up your fuel flow by 50%.
This one issue aside, by all means, go ahead and buy a Nord Star 33+. It is, after all, a very, very good boat.
LOA: 37ft 5in (11.40m)
BEAM: 11ft 1in (3.40m)
DISPLACEMENT: 7,000kg
TOP SPEED: 45 knots
XO Explr 44
It’s clear that the EXPLR 44 is a very appealing boat but what’s not quite so clear is how it will fare in relation to its competition – or if, indeed, it has any direct competition at all.
For instance, although it comes in at broadly the same price as the new Targa 41, the Targa features bigger cabins and a more accommodating pilothouse, plus more versatile outdoor entertaining zones, a compact flybridge and an offshore pedigree every bit as profound as the brand’s prestige.
More to the point, in spite of the fact that these two boats share similar stories in terms of layout and application, they are likely to appeal to very different kinds of boater. After all, the sleeker, more aggressive XO is a foot narrower in the beam, the best part of ten knots faster and much more dynamic to look at than its slightly statesmanlike competitor.
You could argue then that the XO actually falls more directly into line with a boat like the Axopar 45 Cross Cabin, which looks a little lighter footed and more fuel efficient, thanks to its stepped hull and pretty fibreglass construction.
But either way, by combining the recreational sophistication of a boat like the Axopar with the purposeful offshore posture of a boat like the Targa and then mixing all of that up with the tough aluminium construction and go-kart agility for which XOs have become so well known, the new EXPLR 44 offers something pretty much unique in the world of the all-purpose, all-weather adventure boat.
LOA: 44ft 0in (13.40m)
BEAM: 12ft 2in (3.70m)
DRAFT: 3ft 6in (1.05m)
DISPLACEMENT: 8,268kg (light)
TOP SPEED: 46.3 knots
Virtue V10
This is a very competent boat in a very competitive category. It’s stylish and well built with a subtly upmarket feel, a strong spec and a well-judged extras list. It’s easy to drive, it handles well and it offers a variety of engine options, including electric.
The fact that the drop-down terraces come as standard is also a major bonus and we have no doubt that the carbon-fibre trim will sweeten the deal for some. But aside from the Petestep hull, which differs more in concept than impact, there is nothing here that you could describe as genuinely fresh; nothing to really set it apart from the many capable boats that already inhabit this part of the market.
So by all means, if you want a slick, sporting day boat with the potential for the odd night away, then the V10 deserves to be a very real part of the conversation. But if you’re looking for a boat that trumps the existing players and brings definitive clarity to this fiercely contested market segment, the arrival of the Virtue V10 is only likely to complicate the issue.
LOA: 32ft 8in (9.95m)
BEAM: 9ft 6in (2.90m)
DRAFT: 3ft 10in (1.17m)
DISPLACEMENT: 15,100kg (light)
TOP SPEED: 43.2 knots
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