When we stepped on board the Evo R4 XT at the Palma International Boat Show, its chief feature was immediately evident…
While it exhibits all the lovely day boating cleanliness of form you would expect, this XT (extended) variant adds a custom aft platform designed specifically for Evo by Besenzoni.
The idea is that you can use it in three ways. You can lift it up for easy embarkation from an elevated Med pontoon; you can lower it to water level, extending your beach area by a metre; or you can drop it beneath the waterline for watersports or tender work. It’s a superb feature and its impact feels all the greater thanks to a pair of large extendable side decks.
In common with other Evo Yachts models, these lateral platforms expand the beam by about 2m but unlike the industry’s more regular drop-down terraces, these fold out from the deck with their vertical bulwarks intact, creating a colossal party space without in any way diminishing your sense of security.
The styling of this boat is equally unique. There are stark modern angles everywhere you look, from the wet bar, helm station, grab rails and hardtop to the foredeck sunpads and even the speaker grills.
While a hexagonal cupholder is likely to prove less practical than a round one, the combined impact of these features is extremely striking – and as you move past the carbon fibre helm toward the cabins, the weekending facilities look decent too.
The steps are built from clear plastic with machined tread plates, which makes an immediate difference to the brightness of the lower atrium. From here, there’s a convertible dinette in the bow, a wet room to starboard, the option of a compact galley to port and a neat little transverse double berth beneath the cockpit sole.
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The windows look out into the deep walkaround side decks so the views are not fantastic. And in terms of performance, a 38-knot top end from a pair of Volvo Penta IPS 650s is not especially quick.
But the Evo R4 XT is not about cruising practicalities or outright sport. It’s a clear and uncompromising statement that what matters to you is day boating indulgence – and viewed in that context, there’s not a lot that can touch it.
Evo R4 XT specifications
LOA: 43ft 1in (13.12m)
Beam: 14ft 10in (4.52m)
Engines: Twin Volvo Penta IPS 650s
Top speed: 38 knots
Starting price: €827,000 (ex. VAT)
The extended XT model uses the custom aft platform
