Though the engaging showroom sparkle of Beneteau’s current Flyer line may imply otherwise, the Flyer has been around in one form or another since the 1980s. It’s a name woven deep into the Beneteau narrative, but it wasn’t until 2013, on the 30th anniversary of the product line, that it…
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Secondhand boat buyers guide: Best riverboats for sale
After years of offshore boating, a friend of mine relocated due to work and took up inland waterway boating instead. He described it as the most relaxing form of boating in the world. Navigation is easy, you just need to decide whether to go upstream or down. Short of a…
Dutch cruising guide: Exploring the nether-Netherlands
Boating is a way of life in the Netherlands, where water occupies a significant proportion of the country’s surface area. Behind Holland’s North Sea flood defences lies an extraordinary network of canals, sounds, lakes, grand estuaries and rivers alive with ships and barges on an impressive scale. Since the notorious…
Keizer 42 review: Superyacht tender style without the price tag
The Keizer 42 is not the type of boat you’d normally associate with Dutch boat building. It’s made out of GRP rather than steel for starters and its classic open styling with polished mahogany transom and near-vertical bow looks more suited to Mediterranean blasting than pottering along North European waterways.…
Beneteau Monte Carlo 52: The replacement for the MC5 will be launched at Cannes
The Beneteau Monte Carlo 52 boasts greater volume than its predecessor and a choice of two IPS engine options
Crossing the Channel by boat: Everything you need to know
While local weekend jaunts are enjoyable, there’s something about an open-sea passage abroad that feels like proper cruising. Yet there’s a crucial difference between coast-hopping and being out of sight of land even for a few hours, especially for inexperienced navigators. The main anxiety is being caught offshore by worsening…
Zeelander Z44 review: Extraordinary quality more than justifies hefty price tag
First unveiled at the Monaco Yacht Show to a well-heeled chorus of public cooing, the Z44 is not your everyday boat. Designed and built in the Netherlands specifically to cater for a supremely solvent client base, this high-end take on the classic lobster boat exhibits the painstaking detailing of an…
VIDEO: Marex 370 ACC used boat review
“Ironically, we were at Salterns Marina taking delivery of a new Technohull 888 RIB when we first became aware of the Marex 370 ACC. As a family we’d been boating for over 30 years but had three years out to see if we missed it. We did, and the Technohull…
V6 outboards: Six of the best from Mercury Marine
The Mercury Verado range of supercharged 175-225hp outboard motors has been replaced by an all-new family of naturally aspirated 3.4-litre V6 outboards. The move marks a major change in direction for one of the world’s leading outboard engine manufacturers. Until now, the company has relied on belt-driven superchargers to boost…
VIDEO: Jersey 36 Elanco boat test review
The beauty of the British boatbuilding industry is that just when you think you know every yard, make and model there is to know, another one pops up to prove you wrong. In fairness, Landamores is far from new, having been building boats in Wroxham, Norfolk since 1923. However, since…
VIDEO: Dale 40 boat test review
Anyone who has driven a boat in a decent following swell will know the feeling. That moment when the boat is right in the sea’s pocket, manipulating the conditions for a natural boost as Mother Nature provides her own shove of forced induction. The speed jumps up momentarily before the…
VIDEO: Princess V39 to Russia – Part 5
Another early morning start on a flat calm sea, destination Stockholm. This journey has been all about travelling – seeing as much as we can of the Baltic in the limited time we have available – but I feel deep regret leaving the tranquillity and beauty of Finland’s Archipelago Sea.…
VIDEO: Princess R35 sea trial test
A text message to the editor after a test is not rare, just a quick line to reassure him everything has gone to plan and I haven’t accidentally run the boat in question up the nearest sandbank. The summary sent to him after the test of this boat, though, was…
Dominator Ilumen: Space and light illuminate semi-custom stunner
Alberto Mancini is a man in high demand at the moment, and be it revitalising the Fairline range or penning the latest Mangusta rocket ship, it seems the Italian designer can do no wrong. The Ilumen concept from Dominator proved a challenge, however. The brief was to create a boat…
Linssen GS500 review: Inshore cruising favourite faces offshore test
There is a common perception that Linssen yachts are only suitable for navigating inland waterways. That certainly is not the case with the Grand Sturdy 500 AC Variotop (catchy name, huh?) lying before me on a hammerhead pontoon in East Cowes Marina. The boat made the journey over to the…
Secondhand buyers guide: Best wheelhouse and walkaround boats
Botnia Targa 35 Built: 2006 Price: £165,000 No walkaround grouping would be complete without a Botnia Targa, king of the fast wheelhouse genre. Wessex Marine, the long-standing UK importer, rate the 35 as their personal favourite. Sat in the middle of a range that runs from 23ft to the flagship…
VIDEO: How To – Back into a berth
In the Mediterranean almost all berths are arranged for stern-to mooring and even in the UK the height of many modern craft makes it impossible to get on or off anywhere other than the bathing platform. It’s not really that different to entering a berth bow first, however, the shift…
Azimut Grande 27M: Game-changing ideas abound on luxurious cruiser
Azimut’s new, raised-pilothouse Grande range kicked off in spectacular style last year with the 35 Metri, a true game-changer among motor yachts with its efficient, wave-piercing hull design, which was widely admired on its launch and showered with awards, not least from MBY, who considered it the best yacht in…
Motor Boat Awards 2019: Behind the scenes photos and video
With a new date, a new venue and a fantastic fleet of boats to honour, the Motor Boat Awards returned with a bang this week (May 7). The evening began at the magnificent Corinthia London Hotel with a drinks reception, before the assembled guests were invited to take their seats.…
Winners of the 2019 Motor Boat Awards revealed
The winners of the 2019 Motor Boat Awards were announced last night at the Corinthia Hotel London. We explain why they came out on top in their respective categories. Sportsboats and RIBs Sponsored by Finalists Agapi 950 Finnmaster T8 Jeanneau Cap Camarat 9.0 Nimbus W9 Parker 850 Voyager Winner: Jeanneau…