The Spirit P70 barely needs introduction, it is a stunning boat that seamlessly blend the benefits of tradition and modernity. We add it to our list of the World's coolest boats
I could have simply inserted a huge photo of the Spirit P70 into the middle of this page and not bothered with words at all because, well, just look at it! But word count requirements aside, there is, in fact, plenty that needs to be discussed on the subject of coolness when it comes to this vessel, because it certainly runs more than skin deep.
Far from starting life as a fanciful design and then filling in the blanks, this vessel was developed around some cold, hard numbers. Commissioned by an owner who lived in the UK but wanted to be able to reach his preferred cruising grounds in the Baltic in one hit, those numbers were 1,000 nautical miles at 18 knots.
Built by Spirit Yachts in Ipswich (the builder of those staggeringly beautiful wooden yachts we saw 007 at the helm of in Casino Royale and No Time To Die) and designed by head designer Sean McMillian, who also happened to be the CEO of the company (telling you a great deal about its priorities), the exterior profile was the 22nd concept drawn. That in itself took one whole year, with the build a further three (not helped by Covid).
The plush interior is a study in mahogany magnificence
Construction is based around a sapele wood ring frame with douglas fir longitudinals and 3mm-thick kaya veneers, bonded together using vacuum-infused epoxy resin. The interior is mahogany – just varnishing it took three men seven months! And while all that wood might sound heavy, in fact the finished boat weighs about half that of the shorter but admittedly 2ft wider Fleming 65, due in part to the fact that the wood epoxy composite structure is similarly light and strong as carbon-fibre (yet less brittle and more forgiving, with superior sound-deadening properties).
That, in turn, means that the engines can be smaller and lighter than is usual in a boat of this size – in this case, twin MAN i6 800 diesels.
Add four fuel tanks that hold a total of 10,000 litres and you have the speed and range required.
The result, while not cheap, is certainly effective, not to mention drop-dead gorgeous and utterly, utterly cool.
See our full coolest boat hall of fame
Spirit P70 specifications
Year: 2020
LOA: 71ft 0in (21.7m)
Beam: 16ft 5in (5m)
Power: Twin MAN i6 800 diesel engines
Speed: 23.5 knots
Price when new: £4.5 million
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