Yachting November 2020

I’m not sure when the boat bug bit, but by the time I was about 5 years old, being on a boat and at the marina was an obsession. The sport gave me some of my best childhood memories. I was a dock rat in every sense of the word. ¶ If my dad was working on the boat, I’d walk the marina, learning every boat’s name, make and model. And I’d talk to anyone who would talk to me about their boat. Or about fishing. My poor dad would be subjected to unrelenting questions on the drive home. He was patient. I learned a lot. ¶ I recall the always-smiling Ralph V. Pantoni, who owned a 28-foot Tollycraft docked down the way from us. It had a direct-drive, 1-to-1…

Dixon Yacht Design in the UK has released initial images of its 180-foot Project 175. The sailing superyacht will have an all-aluminum hull and superstructure. The design firm says the yacht’s main deck will be set up like a motoryacht layout and the salon will be surrounded by glass, providing nearly 360-degree views. There will be a formal dining area on this deck too. The flybridge is designed to have twin helm stations, a hot tub and alfresco entertaining space. Belowdecks, there will be four guest staterooms and an owner’s stateroom with direct access to the transformer-style teak beach club. Project 175 will have hybrid propulsion that enables the propellers to generate electricity while sailing. READER FEEDBACK Looking for photos and yacht news? Get social with Yachting: visit facebook.com/yachtingmagazine By email: letters@yachtingmagazine.com…

THE HITS KEEP COMING—a phrase that is all too accurate for what usually would be a bustling fall boat-show season, but instead is seeing yet more cancellations due to COVID-19. ¶ So, we’re choosing to look at the phrase differently this year. Because the truth is that the hits—as in star-quality creations that leave us grinning—also keep coming from builders unveiling and launching new models filled with innovation and beauty. ¶ Indeed, the good stuff is now arriving in all market segments, from motoryachts to power catamarans to bluewater-ready fishing machines and re-imagined classics. No matter what form of yachting suits your fancy, there’s a new model out there that’s ready to get you on the water in style. The following pages offer a look at some offerings from builders…

THE VIKING YACHTS 38 Open Billfish evolved from the 38 Billfish flybridge. It’s an express boat built for diehard anglers. ¶ The 38’s centerline helm station allows for 360-degree visibility, thanks to a step-up platform, center windshield, curved corner glass and open aft space; Bimini curtains help to keep air conditioning in and heat out. The console has room for twin 17-inch Garmin multifunction displays, an engine monitor and speed/depth logs. A joystick controller should come in handy for close-quarters maneuvering with the twin 550 hp Cummins QSB6.7 diesels. ¶ A radio box to port of the Palm Beach-style helm pod (with bow-thruster buttons in the single-lever controls) houses the VHF radios and touch-button controls for the Seakeeper SK6 stabilizer. Behind a drop-down ceiling panel are recessed electric teaser reels.…

TECNORIB’S latest RIB is the Pirelli 42, a walkaround craft penned by Sweden’s Mannerfelt Design Team. It can be powered with twin diesel or gasoline engines from Volvo Penta or Mercruiser. Maximum total horsepower is 800 for diesels and 900 for gasoline engines. • Whom It’s For: The yacht owner with friends, because the Pirelli 42 has room for 14 people. Additionally, there are sun pads fore and aft to catch some rays. A table in the cockpit allows for alfresco meals. Belowdecks, there are a head and a dinette table that converts to a berth for two. The builder says the Pirelli 42 works equally well as a shadow boat or as a standalone day cruiser. • Picture This: Even big boats can feel confining with a crowd on…

YES, WE KNOW. TYPICALLY AT THIS TIME of year, the ritual of putting away the boat for winter is well underway or altogether complete. But 2020 is anything but a typical year, and many yachtsmen are looking to extend the cruising season into the cold-weather months, to continue enjoying socially distant cruising during the COVID-19 pandemic. ¶ Enter Helly Hansen, the Norwegian company that knows a thing or two about cold-weather performance apparel. These are the folks who teamed up with the US Ski & Snowboard team a few years ago as the official provider of base layers, and who partnered with Canada’s alpine-ski team. Helly Hansen is also a longtime favorite of serious sailors, sponsoring the National Offshore One Design Regattas. ¶ Heading into this winter’s extended cruising season,…