Sunseeker’s long pedigree of speedboats with something extra has been extrapolated into the superyacht arena for some years now, with a range of boats that owe something to the fast hulls that made Sunseeker’s name and a whole lot more to the British tradition of tasteful luxury achieved through thorough workmanship and attention to detail.
At 86ft long and six and half feet wide, Sunseeker’s latest member of their high-end yacht range is no sylph-like racer, yet how many racers can handle a stiff channel chop at 30kts without bouncing the occupants around and also be able to handle a 1200nm passage without refueling?
She’s big, and she’s tall. Headroom is 6’6” throughout, and the views from the flybridge, which put your eyes at about 26ft above the water, seem to go on forever.
Designed with a huge engine room to take various engine options, she was designed around the twin V10 MTU 94s, giving 1622hp. Almost all the Sunseeker 86 customers so far have opted for the largest engine option: twin V12 MTU 94s which deliver 1925hp, which notch the top speed up a bit, but offer similar fuel efficiency at the top cruising speed of about 24kts.
The 2900 gallon fuel tank gives a range at 26kts of a little over 400nm. If you are looking for distance rather than speed, a passage at 11kts would give you a range easily exceeding 1200nm. Fuel consumption measurements for slower speeds indicate much longer ranges are possible. The world is your oyster.
Enough about the driver and the sheer fun of putting a big powerful she-beast like this through her paces. What about the passengers?
Two ensuite full-width double cabins have room for lots of storage and an easy chair or two, and two twin cabins, also ensuite, complete the passenger accommodation. Aft of the engine room are the crew cabins, sleeping four. The double cabin in the forepeak has its own private access from a companionway beside the helm station.
On the main deck, a large cockpit leads through sliding patio doors into the saloon, which has the seating and dining areas close together. The seating, rather than the usual side-bench scenario, is curved around at front and rear to give a more inclusive feel. The space created is given over to the galley/bar area placed forward and to port of the helm station together with some more seating making this area a second sitting room with the console of a 747 in the corner and a handy bar. What’s not to like about this? The usual seating and sunpads in the bow are given plenty of room, and the sunpads don’t just lie flat. There’s room for everyone.
The flybridge has its own helm station, so you can let the wind blow through your hair when giving it a bit of a run, and it is surrounded on three sides by deck, seating and sunbathing space. They don’t call it a Sunseeker for nothing. And in case the sun isn’t your thing, there’s a hard top providing partial shade and a substantial bar for replenishing essential fluids.
The cockpit, my favourite place on any boat, is fully-shaded, and in addition to yet more space for sitting, standing and lounging, the swim platform/tender-lift below has been turned into a seating area too with fold down seats to enjoy some sea level views.
All in all, this is a serious live-aboard long-range cruiser with some serious get up and go.
Specifications
LOA: 26.48m (86.10ft)
Beam: 6.40m
Draft: 1.96m (6.5ft)
Displacement: 6.90 tonnes
Max Speed: 30kts
Cruising Speed: 23kts
Fuel Capacity: 7,500L / 1,649.77 USG
Water Capacity: 1,500L / 329.95 USG
Range: 350nm
Hull Material: GRP
Builder: Sunseeker
Website: www.sunseeker.com
Story Credits
This article was originally published in Yacht Style
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