Hatteras 70 // Prestige 420 // Sea Ray 19 SPX // 14 Reports
It is obvious that this veteran builder has shot a cannon ball across the bows of numerous European brands. The 70 Motor Yacht’s wide 21’0” (6.40 m) beam is one of the greatest in class and this makes a big difference all over the boat, from the accommodations below to the main deck salon to the flying bridge. Not only does this prodigious beam make the boat roomier, it also makes her more stable at rest and in a seaway. It spreads her displacement over more square footage which means she does not draw as much water as most boats in class. People with a dock in front of their house will appreciate that – and she can cruise in the Abacos, eastern Baltic, and in the Chesapeake Bay without undo concern. With the new 70 motoryacht, Hatteras continues to do what it has always done best – build rugged, seaworthy vessels with systems designed and installed that are among the best of any builder in the world. But now the builder’s new vessels -- both inside and out -- are created in Italy by designers who are on the cutting edge of motoryacht styling and taste. She is also highly customizable. For example, she can be built with a large country kitchen galley, or an enclosed traditional European one. She comes with several different engine packages that make her as fast as any boat in class.
The narrow profile "Ergolock" seat, with hollows that the rider can grip with his or her knees, helps reduce the effort to hold on with shoulders, arms and hands in turns and in chop. There are four distinct tilt angles for the handlebars, adjustable to give the driver maximum comfort and control, and the palm rests are much wider than most, providing relief for long days of gripping the controls.
Mercury's Diesel 3.0L V-6 is a compact, lightweight engine built on Volkswagen's V6 block. The TDI engine block is fabricated via Vermicular Graphite Casting (VGC), which has twice the strength of gray iron but is 5% to 10% lighter. The end result is low weight, high strength, and maximum heat transfer for optimum cooling, according to the company. The engine weighs just 675 lbs. (306 kg). Top-mounted fluid reservoirs, a self-draining oil filter and an easy-to-reach oil dipstick offers easy access for owner maintenance.
The new Prestige Yachts 420 offers private entries to each of its two full-beam en suite staterooms, a tricky design feat on a yacht under 42' (12.8 m) long. A roomy sun pad on the bow and another to port on the flying bridge give plenty of space to catch some rays, and a broad stairway, rather than a ladder, provides access topside. Interiors are by Garroni Design, just as in the company's larger yachts.
Powered with a 200-hp MerCruiser 4.5L turning a 19'' pitch prop, the Sea Ray 19 SPX that we tested reached 47.5 mph at WOT. Best cruise was at 2500 rpms and 24.2 mph, where she consumed 4.6 gph for a range of about 142 miles, allowing a 10% reserve. Time to plane was 3.7 seconds. A unique option is an outboard powered version, adding extra storage space aboard.
The new Evinrude E-TEC G2 250 H.O. is specifically designed for direct fuel injection, the result of which is up to 15% better fuel consumption than the competition, according to the company. The 210 CID engine weighs just 539 lbs. (244 kg) and is said to have 20% better torque than all others in class. It also has a new automatic trim system, digital integration with gauges and a sleek but robust new SLX gear case. Electro-deposition paint and stainless steel parts allow a five-year corrosion protection warranty. Because she has nearly 200 fewer parts than a 4-stroke, there are simply fewer things to go wrong.
The Tracker Targa V-18 WT comes fully-loaded for angling. She features a Minn Kota 24V, 70-lb. thrust PowerDrive trolling motor with foot pedal up front and a Lowrance Mark-5x fishfinder on the console. There's a 19-gallon (72 L) aerated livewell/baitwell in the bow and a 48-gallon (182 L) aerated livewell aft. Two locking rod boxes hold rods up to 7' (2.13 m) long. With a 35-degree deadrise and plenty of freeboard, the Targa V-18 WT is well designed to take on big northern lakes even when the going gets rough.
Twin 435-hp Volvo Penta IPS600s deliver 0.9 mpg over a broad range of on-plane rpms, giving the captain of the Beneteau Monte Carlo 5 plenty of leeway in selecting speed to match sea conditions without excessive concern for range. Top speed was 34.6 mph in our test runs, but most will probably choose to run her somewhere around 2750 and 20.5 mph at which point she has a range of 230 miles. The "tulip bow" and near vertical stem does a good job of wave-splitting when needed, according to our test captain. The IPS systems with joystick will make her a pleasure to handle around the docks.
The Mercury Remanufacturing 357 Alpha 4V engine is a popular money-saving engine for repowering older sterndrive boats. A 750 cfm four-barrel carburetor and Gen+ cylinder heads boost power to 275 horsepower compared to the older 250-hp engines it replaces. It weighs 871 lbs. (395 kg) without drive and fits the footprint of all 5.0L and 5.7L sterndrive V-8 engines. The engine is designed to handle 87 octane fuel with up to 10% ethanol. She is an economical alternative to replacing the whole boat if only the engine is the problem.
With her gray hull and sculptured relief side windows, the Cruisers Yachts 45 Cantius is one of the sleekest and most striking express yachts on the water these days. The gun-metal gray hull color is a treatment that the builder is now building from its smallest boat right up to the flagship 60 Cantius. This look reminds us of large motoryachts that were popular in the Mediterranean some years ago when the likes of people like Gianni Agnelli (principal owner of Fiat and Ferrari at the time) and other European tycoons tried to out-do one another with striking gray megayachts. While the 45 Cantius is a lot smaller than those vessels, she nevertheless carries herself with great style.
With twin Rotax 4-TEC 250-hp engines, the Chaparral 243 VRX displays PWC-type handling in a large bowrider with seating for up to 12 adults. She planes in 2 seconds, hits 20 mph in 3.9 seconds, and continues accelerating through 30 mph in 5.8 seconds. The jet system allows the boat to operate safely in shallow water, and the "lateral thrust buckets" direct outflow from the jet nozzles to make low-speed steering easy, unlike some jetdrive boats.
With over 7' (2.13 m) of headroom below decks and abundant hull-side windows, the accommodation-areas of the Bavaria Sport 400 Coupe are exceptionally open and bright. The 13'1" (3.99 m) beam is carried well-forward to provide added space in the master stateroom at the bow, and clever engineering like the convertible dinette seat on the port side of the salon makes efficient use of available space.
A massive 254-quart insulated fishbox is neatly fitted into the transom and can be upgraded with an optional refrigerated box which includes the aft fishbox and the port helm cooler box. A rigging station with a sink and storage space for tackle in the locker below is located to port in the aft cockpit, while to starboard is a 45-gallon (170 L) raw water livewell with light, overboard drain, and full-column water distribution inlet.
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