Slim, powerful and wickedly fast, the Wider 42 appears anything but “wide” at first glance
Wider is an Italian manufacturer of superyachts with a fleet of 150 – 200ft craft.
Although a very innovative brand (the Wider 165 has a float-in tender garage that converts to an indoor swimming pool, and generators under the foredeck that power electric pod drives instead of engines), it’s not immediately obvious where the Wider name came from.
To get to the root of that, we need to delve back to 2011 and the company’s very first product, the Wider 42.
At first glance, this 42ft sports boat was the very antithesis of wide. With a beam of just 11ft 6in and a carbon composite stepped hull designed by offshore racing guru Mark Wilson, the Wider 42 was a narrow go-fast machine.
The reason for the name becomes apparent when you press a button and the sides extend to create valuable extra deck space
The twin Cummins QSB 5.9 480hp diesel engines fitted to the boat powered Arneson Long Finn surface drives to speeds of over 50 knots.
And if that wasn’t fun enough, it came with a 215hp Sea-Doo RXT dock at the aft end with a power launch and recover facility, as well as a cuddy cabin with a dinette that converted to a double berth at the front.
Other innovations included inflatable cockpit furniture that could be tossed over the side if you fancied bobbing about on it, and ‘saddle bags’ that you could pack at home and then fit as lockers inside the cabin. There was even a touchscreen built into the steering wheel that controlled the whole boat. As a first model from a brand new yard, it was, frankly, off the chain.
All of the above would have been plenty enough to secure it a spot in the MBY Cool Boat pantheon.
But we’ve only just got to the boat’s party piece and the origin of that Wider moniker.
At the touch of a button, side panels on the gunwales extend outwards, while rectangular sections of the hull descend into the water on either side like outrigger floats to stabilise the hull. In just 12 seconds, the centre cockpit is 8ft wider, creating vastly more space and cementing the brand name for anyone seeing it in action.
Article continues below…
WiderCat 92 first look: Organic shapes fit for a modern art museum
Hybrid Widercat 76: A futuristic powercat
Wider 42 Specifications:
Year: 2011
LOA: 42ft 4in (12.9m)
Beam: 11ft 6in (3.5m)
Power: Twin Cummins QSB 5.9 480hp diesel engines
Speed: 53 knots
Price when new: €780,000
If you enjoyed this….
If you enjoyed this….Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.
Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.
Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.
Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
