With drop-down bulwarks and a massive 19ft beam, the Aquila 45 Sport is a masterclass in open-air entertainment and clever design
Set for its global debut at the Miami International Boat Show in February, the 45 Sport is the first in a new series of boats for Sino Eagle-owned Aquila Catamarans. Developed in partnership with Yacht Design Works, the edgy styling inspired by contemporary SUVs is uncommonly attractive by powercat standards. And while that’s very welcome, it’s clear that there’s also a keen focus on entertainment.
Aft of the lateral galley, which comes with optional barbecue and television, and butts up against an extraordinarily generous four-seat helm station, there are two C-shaped dinettes, both of which can be converted into sunbeds. One faces forward beneath the shelter of the full-beam T-top. The other faces aft over the open transom, where a central platform extends between the twin outboards like an oversized passerelle.
A big four-seat helm sits at the very heart of the deck layout
While these two seating zones occupy part of the same unit, the aft dinette lacks lateral backrests – and given that this new 45 also features a pair of drop-down bulwarks, extending the beam to 19ft, that makes plenty of sense, because it means you can perch on the bench facing out to sea rather than merely in towards the table.
From here, a deep single-level side deck runs up the port side, connecting you to a beamy bow space with forward-facing loungers, 350L of waterproof storage and some dedicated wet lockers. On the starboard side, however, the side deck lifts up four steps, in tandem with the helm console, creating plenty of extra volume for an offset owner’s cabin.
In here, you will find a king-size bed with a memory foam mattress and a private wetroom-style heads compartment with an electric flush toilet, plus some very effective skylights built into the dashtop for extra light. It looks like a far better cabin than you would tend to expect on a sporting open powercat but there is of course only one, so if you fancy weekends away, this is a boat for couples rather than families.
The offset structure creates a really attractive owner’s cabin
Even so, performance looks strong. Equipped with stepped hulls and twin 600hp Mercury Verado V12 outboards, Aquila is talking about speeds in the region of 44-45 knots. The helm looks like a great place to enjoy that too, thanks to offshore seats, a raised screen and flush-mount 16in chartplotters, alongside the kind of connectivity that enables you to control all of your DC equipment – lighting, navigation, engine data and stereo – from your smartphone.
Aquila 45 Sport specifications
LOA: 46ft 6in (14.17m)
BEAM: 15ft 2in (4.62m)
ENGINES: Twin Mercury 600hp V12 outboards
TOP SPEED: 44 knots
PRICE: TBC
CONTACT: aquilaboats.com
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