are sunseeker yachts good

Are Sunseeker Boats Any Good?

Sunseeker has been building boats since 1969 and is one of the largest motor yacht builders in the world. With approximately 150 boats produced each year and their range exceeding 20 models to choose from, it's safe to say that the Sunseeker brand will continue its pursuit for quite some time. With thousands of monthly searches for Sunseeker Yachts on Google, one question that continues to arise from boat buyers is "Are Sunseeker Boats any good?"

This is a very subjective question as Sunseeker builds a particular style of yacht for a particular style of boating, one that may not appeal to someone that loves sportfishing boats or center-consoles. By looking at both industry awards and a good volume of boats sold, we can assume the answer. Sunseeker Yachts are widely considered a good boat builder as they are often recognized through marine industry awards, like the World Yacht Trophies, but there have also been more than 450 used Sunseekers sold since the beginning of 2021. 

"Builders like Sunseeker, Princess, Fairline, Azimut, and others are all pretty similar in their styles with some of the shipyards investing in new technology that may give them slight advantages," said Jay Hendrix, Vice President of SI Yachts. "We are proud to represent Princess Yachts and Absolute Yachts as dealers, which are competitors to Sunseeker, but we have also sold a fair amount of all of these brands on the brokerage market. If you have a Sunseeker you want to sell, call us and we'll put together a full marketing plan just for your boat. We can also help you with learning more about Princess, Absolute, and other luxury motor yacht builders.

Seen below: 'AQUAHOLIC' does a walk-through video of the Sunseeker Manhattan 55

What Kind Of Awards Has Sunseeker Won?

The Sunseeker designers and engineers are not strangers to the major marine industry awards that are given out annually. The Motor Boat Awards are arguably one of the top ceremonies for yacht builders on the international stage. The 2022 awards which were held in January included multiple Sunseeker models in the running for various categories. The Sunseeker 65 Sport Yacht was the winner in the 'Sports Cruisers Over 45-Foot Category'.

"The Sunseeker 65 Sport Yacht lives up to its name with the kind of nimble handling and near 35 knot performance that belies its size and simply wouldn’t be possible on a full-blown flybridge," the judges said. Add in the exhilarating experience of driving the boat from the Skyhelm station on the flybridge and you have one extremely fun boat ride. Additionally the Manhattan 55 was nominated for 'Best Flybridge Up To 60-Feet' and the Manhattan 68 was nominated for 'Best Flybridge Over 60-Feet.

The World Yacht Trophies are another highly-regarded awards ceremony where Sunseeker did tremendously well in 2021. Three models took home awards in major categories, a testament to the popularity of the British shipyard. The 65 Sport once again won an award, this time for Best Exterior Design in its category. The 88 Motor Yacht won for Best Exterior Design in its category as well, while the 90 Ocean won for Best Layout.

What Are The Most Popular Sunseeker Models

Again, this is a very subjective thing to say that any one model is more popular than another, especially when there can be many differences between ranges like the Manhattan, Portofino, Superhawk, Predator, and others. There are also going to be much fewer boats sold in the 90-foot and up range as there is less of a market at that price. 

The Manhattan model range was quite popular and the sold data supports this. From the beginning of 2021, there have been 83 used Sunseekers sold in the United States and recorded in the MLS. Nearly half of those boats sold were from the Manhattan model line, with the Manhattan 52, Manhattan 55, and Mahattan 66 being the most popular. During this same timeframe, there were 3 Sunseeker boats sold over 100-feet, two of which were based in Miami.

Comparing Sunseeker sold numbers to other competitive brands is worthy of discussion, but other factors like production schedules, sourcing equipment, owners keeping their boats longer, and a variety of economic situations can "muddy the waters" when trying to determine popularity. Looking solely at the American market, Sunseeker came in behind Azimut in total number of pre-owned vessels sold, but did exceed the numbers for Princess, Fairline, Ferretti, and Galeon.

As a leader in the yacht brokerage industry and as one of the most successful new boat dealers in the Northeast, the team at SI Yachts is uniquely experienced to help you take your boating interests to the next level. If you are looking to sell your current Sunseeker or other boat, we can execute a personalized advertising plan, as well as utilize our vast Hubspot CRM database, to help you find a buyer quickly. If you're looking to purchase a yacht, we have access to boats on and off the market that may fit your budget and requirements. Contact us today at 1-718-984-7676, or by email at [email protected], to get started with one of our yacht sales professionals.

Other Sunseeker Related Articles Of Interest :

• How Much Does A Sunseeker 65 Yacht Cost?

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Sunseeker Yachts: The Complete Guide to Sunseeker Yachts

Table of Contents

Sunseeker yachts are James Bond-worthy. They have dazzled screens in  Die Another Day, Casino Royale,  and  Quantum of Solace .

Tuxedo on, martini in hand, you too can experience what a luxury yacht feels like with  Boatsetter .

Headquartered in the seaside town of Poole, England, Sunseeker is the largest UK-based luxury yacht, maker. Originally named Poole Power Boats, Sunseeker was the brainchild of brothers Robert and John Braithwaite way back in the heady year of 1969. Harnessing revolutionary materials and technology, the Braithwaite brothers dreamt of building boats of the future. Their early designs were tailored to a handful of customers, keen to embrace the newfound freedoms of the decade.

But things got off to a bumpy start. Across the pond in the United States of America, the owner of Poole Powerboats, Owens Cruisers, decided to close their British operation down and focus instead on domestic production. This was when Robert saw an opportunity. With a bundle of hastily borrowed cash, he drove to Owen’s offices in the sleepy town of Arundel and successfully negotiated the purchase of their boat molds.

Although a small problem remained: he had never built a seagoing craft before.

First came the Sovereign 17 in 1971, followed closely by the Sovereign 20. By the close of the decade, Sunseeker yachts were selling well in the UK and northern Europe. Sunseeker had arrived.

The rest is history.

A leap of  courage  and  imagination  inspired Sunseeker in its early days. In fact, few manufacturers have pioneered as many innovations in the yachting world as Sunseeker. These include duoprops, stern -driven race-bred Arneson surface drives, and a water jet powering system – previously thought impossible.

Now, these bold traits have become the hallmarks of a Sunseeker yacht. Above all, a Sunseeker yacht will give customers exactly what they want. Its expert teams have designed unprecedented and ultimately  successful  yachts to realize their dreams, ensuring that each one is as unique as its customers. This refreshing and prolific stance puts distance between them and their competitors. Not to mention bringing  fabulous  vessels to the waves.  

Capitalizing on the skills passed down from generation to generation, each sunseeker is a triumph in  craftsmanship . While harnessing the best of what digital production and automated assembly have to offer, Sunseeker yachts remain  hand-built  and  hand-finished . Why? Because there is no better way of making the unique, remarkable, and ultimately exceptional.

The Sunseeker Range

Boatsetter’s unique  peer-to-peer  boat renting service offers a range of new and pre-owned Sunseeker yachts. A weekend excursion, exciting day out, or a well-deserved week away (or several), Sunseeker’s expansive range of yachts can satisfy every need. There is the cheetah-like  Predator  up to the magnificent  Superyacht  series. Experience the luxury and technological mastery of a Sunseeker today!

All of Boatsetter’s rentals come with a  knowledgeable captain  and crew to guide you on your exciting yacht adventure and are available from sites across the USA, Europe and beyond. Many Boatsetter rentals offer the opportunity to enhance your experience with jet skis, electronic surfboards, and sea bobs to get splashing on. 

Sport Yacht

Sleek and powerful

Magnificently crafted, expertly finished and composed of raw, unassailable quality materials, every Sunseeker Sport Yacht seamlessly blends elegance and performance. Their two most popular sport yachts are the  74 Sports Yacht  and the  65 Sports Yacht .

The  74 Sports Yacht  is the best of both worlds. This beauty is enhanced by cutting-edge technology and elegant finishes throughout and everything you and your many guests could wish for. Speaking of which, it can accommodate eight passengers plus two crew members.

In a world where distance is everything. The  74 Sports Yacht  has a freshwater capacity of 800 liters (211 US Gal.) and a fuel capacity of 4,800 litres (1,268 US Gal.). This lavishes drivers with a range of up to 900 nautical miles and maximum speeds of up to 38 knots.

Sport, sleek and wonderfully spacious best describe the interior of the  74 Sports Yacht . This is a yacht built to impress. It has copious amounts of entertaining space, including plenty of comfortable seating, large sun pads (both back and front), and the bridge deck seductively shades the cockpit .

The newer  65 Sport Yacht  is a trailblazer. And inside it, you will be one too. Take your holidays to new heights with the yacht’s direct sea access, bar, fridge, BBQ, and free-standing seating. Together these are the perfect spaces for water-loving nymphs and party animals.

20.50 meters (67′ 2″) in length and with a beam of 5.10 (16′ 8″), space is not a premium on the  65 Sport Yacht . With three cabins – including a full-beam master stateroom – it can comfortably accommodate up to 7 guests and 1 crew in absolute luxury. The main deck has a large C shaped sofa and offers options of additional seating with a TV. All of which amounts to a versatile space that adapts seamlessly to all kinds of socializing and adrenaline-seeking.

When you wish to tear up the waves, the innovative Sky Helm of the  65 Sport Yacht , complete with IPS driving joystick, is there. It allows the boat to be sailed while the driver is standing in an upright position, or it can be lowered to fall perfectly into outstretched arms.

The water shark

The Predator range is mythical. Coming in sizes from 50′ to 77′, every boat is a head -turner. Sunseeker has ensured it is strikingly styled, expertly made, and nimble on its hull . The fastest predator models will achieve speeds over 45 knots.

Winner of the prestigious 2019 Motor Boat Awards, the  Predator 50  is ideal for spontaneous adventures or the afternoon adrenaline rush.

Its interior is awe-inspiring. There is plenty of space to host friends, family, or corporate colleagues with space for up to six guests. Plus, each cabin is designed to impress. Sunseeker’s British interior designer’s attention to detail has created the perfect blend of comfort and elegance, especially with their open spaces and large windows, which allow the magical light of a summer sunset to flood in. This is enhanced by an open plan design that boasts a fully opening hardtop roof and fully opening cockpit glazing – bringing the outside inside.

And let us not forget the  Predator 60 Evo . The first model of Sunseeker’s major new product development plan, this bold yacht is tailored for practicality and performance. On the waves, the  Predator 60 Evo  packs a punch. It can glide across the waves at speeds of up to 32 knots. This is matched with its sharp, impressive figure, which allows for unrivaled agility on the open water. The sporty posture of the  Predator 60 Evo  is complemented by a bold, modern interior design. The white finish of the interior and furnishings only aid this sleek feeling.

The conquerors of distance

In this collection are the  Manhattan 68, Manhattan 66, Manhattan   52,  and the  Manhattan 55 .

Fitted with Volvo Penta d13-800 engines, the  Manhattan 55  can cruise comfortably at 25 knots with a range of 250 nautical miles. Or, if you need a speedy getaway, it can be cranked up to an excess of 30 knots at full throttle. Think where you could go with that fuel capacity of 2,200 liters (580 US gal.).

An attractive aspect of the  Manhattan 55  that truly distinguishes it from the crowd is the revolutionary glass-cockpit and gallery window, which can be dropped with the touch of a button, creating a fantastic inside/outside environment. 

Speaking of design capabilities, the exceptional yacht has been meticulously crafted to maximize comfort and cruising, as well as providing owners with a vast array of social spaces – something typically limited to larger yachts.

Length: 21 m (69′). Beam: 5.25 m (17.3′). Range: 550 nautical miles. Maximum speed: 32 knots. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Well, these are the specs of the  Manhattan 68 . Building upon the exceptional family of award-winning Manhattan models, this yacht redefines luxury and relaxation. Across the main deck, keen attention has been paid to create social spaces fit for a king. It can accommodate up to 8 guests and two crew members.

Performance

Built for speed

Sunseeker’s Performance range does what it says on the tin: perform. Capitalizing on Sunseeker’s incredible racing heritage, every boat in this series is a masterpiece in speed. The Performance range dares you to dare, like never before.  

Following several long years of intense speculation, the  Hawk 38  arrived on the yachting scene with much fanfare. It had been almost 20 years since the British shipyard had last launched a proper performance boat. And it was worth the wait. Motorboat & Yachting Magazine called it Sunseeker’s  coolest boat ever . Boasting a range of up to 200 nautical miles, the  Hawk 38  has a maximum speed of 62 knots. Yes, you read that right, 62 knots.

No wonder the  Hawk 38  has won 43 World Speed Records and 55 World Championships.

Coming in bright Marlin Blue, fiery Sunfast Red or ice cool Super Jet Black, the  Hawk 38  can dazzle onlookers on the beach. Its Spradling Marine Silvertex coated fabrics are engineered and tested to resist the toughest marine conditions, ensuring that the vessel remains in its prime.

The  Hawk 38  is packed with an array of high-tech features; 

• Inflatable STAB (stabilizing tubes)to keep the boat stable against whatever odds the ocean may throw at it
• Simrad 16″ Navigation display
• Smart, adjustable steering wheel with function buttons to control it
• Mercury Verado dual-engine Hydraulic Power Steering 
• Mercury Vessel View link, which interfaces with engine data to display engine temperature, pressure, engine alarms, fuel tank level and engine battery voltages via an app. .

Sunseeker’s  Superyachts  are the largest and most extravagant amongst all their ranges. Inspiring and adaptable, these yachts represent the Sunseeker’s knack for style, design, practicality and ingenuity  par excellence . At present, there are four beauties in this range, each one a tribute to British engineering:  50M Ocean ,  52M Ocean ,  131 Yacht  and the  116 Yacht.   

When Sunseeker launched the  50M Ocean , they said that a ‘new dawn had arrived.’ The tri-deck yacht offers beautiful space and volume. It can accommodate up to 10 guests in five cabins under the standard configuration yet has upgradable options for 12 guests – depending on your needs. Indeed, the already opulent interior spaces of the  50M Ocean  can be styled to each buyer’s personal preferences thanks to Sunseeker’s renowned ‘Bespoke’ Service.

Read more about this customization service  here . It is beyond par.

Space and flexibility characterise the theme of the  50M Ocean . It contains a wealth of compelling features, all to maximize the pleasure of passengers. Typically belonging to larger craft only, there is a plunge pool on the main deck and a delectable beach club at the rear of the yacht. This amounts to a fantastic area for revealing in the water.

Another tri-deck, the Sunseeker  131 Yacht  epitomizes all that the British shipyard has got right over the decades. Grandiose yet gracious, this behemoth can sleep up to 12 guests (and 9 crew) in sheer luxury and comfort. It has a range of up to 1,600 nautical miles at 12 knots. Just think of where you could go in that distance.

The interior is finished with ultra-modern materials and techniques. While on the upper deck, you will find the sky lounge, cocktail bar, and Skydeck, which commands awe-inspiring views of the night’s sky; the main deck is complete with a lounge, dining area, and full galley . 

Like the  50M Ocean , the  131 Yacht  comes with the ‘Bespoke’ Service, meaning that the interior is fully customizable according to the buyer’s taste. This is the king of all yachts as impressive out in the open water as it is in the harbor.   

Boatsetter empowers people to explore with confidence by showing them a world of possibility on the water. Rent  a boat,  list  your boat, or become a  Boatsetter captain  today.

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Sunseeker 101 Sport Yacht review: More than meets the eye – from the archive

Anything, and we mean anything, goes on board Sunseeker’s new 101 Sport Yacht – the only constant is the sleek exterior, Alan Harper steps aboard two very different models to get a feel for the latest offering.

One glance at the sleek new sports machine that is the Sunseeker 101 Sport Yacht tells you exactly what you’re getting. Or do you? A fast, hot-handling superyacht, with edgy styling inside and out? Well, yes, if you want. But if you would prefer a more relaxed, sophisticated gentleman’s express it could be that too – or a roomy family cruiser with comfortable accommodation, wide-open deck spaces and plenty of toys and tenders.

There’s no getting away from the fact that the 101 Sport Yacht looks like a Sunseeker should look – like it’s doing 50 knots still tied to the quay – but looks are only the start. Because once over 100ft overall, Sunseeker customers can take advantage of the shipyard’s Bespoke design office to completely customise their yachts.

So although in most respects a production yacht, the 101’s interior can be modified to express the exact wishes of the owner – and thanks to a choice of engine installations you can opt to make it either a mild-mannered cruising yacht or a fullblooded performance machine.

No-one has yet taken the plunge with the triple-engined version, but we caught up with Sandy on a bright summer’s day in Cannes, the second 101 Sport Yacht off the line, and were also given a private view of the first 101’s spectacular interior. In terms of taste, character and sensibility the two yachts could hardly be more different.

Sunseeker 101 Sport Yacht’s interior

Stepping out of the midday glare it took a while to adjust to the cool and welcoming shade of Sandy ’s interior. Her decor is calmly stated and undemonstrative, though not without character.

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Dark and smooth walnut veneers on the cabinets and bulkheads provide both textural and tonal contrasts to the deep grain of the stained oak floors, which have an almost rustic appeal – far from the smoothly bland modernism which the 101’s sharp exterior styling might lead the unwary to assume.

Light floods in not only through the side windows but also from above the helm Photo: Andy Cahill

The sideboard along the starboard side is capped by a long and heavy-looking slab of veined marble. Light cream upholstery helps to delineate the living spaces from these dense, shaded tones, and although pleasantly gloomy when you first venture in, in fact her main deck is generously sunlit thanks not only to large saloon windows but also to fixed glass panels over the helm station, which can be shaded with blinds.

Three of the four sections of the cockpit bulkhead also slide across, opening the whole area up to enjoy the view and the breeze, with the cockpit shaded by an expansive unfurling bimini.

The lower deck is dominated by the full-beam master suite amidships, with its big windows (though not perhaps quite as big as those bold hull glazing would have you believe), a huge shower compartment, a substantial walk-in wardrobe and a king-size bed. Headroom in all the cabins is at least 6ft 6in (1.98m).

Article continues below…

Hall of fame: The top 10 greatest Sunseeker yachts of all time

Sunseeker 95 yacht review: stacking the decks – from the archive.

The Sunseeker 95 Yacht only boasts an extra half deck over its 28m sister ship, but the affect is astonishing.

The VIP cannot compete with the master for space, but in all other respects it’s a luxurious and comfortable cabin, which can also offer a walk-in wardrobe, a dressing table and a roomy head compartment.

The third cabin on Sandy is a twin-berth on the starboard side with ensuite access to the spacious head at the foot of the companionway. Its hanging locker and other stowage areas are probably only adequate for short trips, but if there are any issues the 101 is generously endowed down below with under-sole stowage areas, their hatches marked by old-school stainless steel frames to protect the carpet edging.

As well as his considered choice of interior decor and finish, this second 101 Sport Yacht’s owner also opted for an office in place of a fourth cabin – and a fourth cabin in place of the fourth cabin’s head compartment. The result is an excellent open-plan office on the port side, with plenty of light and space and a good-sized desk, while just aft, where the fourth cabin’s ensuite would have been, there is a small twin-bunk cabin suitable either for children or a pair of diminutive adults, as the thwartships berths are only 5ft 6in (1.65m) long.

It’s actually not a bad use of the leftover space. The office doesn’t need it, and a fourth head on a yacht this size is hardly a necessity. If you don’t have the requisite youngsters to hand, just scan the club bar for some new short friends.

The VIP in the bows is complete with walk-in wardrobe, dressing table and a roomy heads Photo: Andy Cahill

Sunseeker’s willingness to customise didn’t stop there, and neither did the owner’s imagination. Not content with his bespoke interior and non-standard office area, he also plundered the options list, adding more than three-quarters of a million pounds to the bottom line. Sleipner zero-speed fin stabilisers were the most expensive single item, followed by a state-of the art £73,000 SES audio system, tropical air-conditioning – the yacht’s home base is Ibiza – a dumb waiter, and high-capacity commercial fridge and freezer capacity.

Building the vessel to MCA regulations for charter added £69,000. Less obvious options include a military-spec searchlight by Francis and a joystick-controlled FLIR thermal imaging camera, which is reportedly able to detect a two-metre dinghy at a range of five miles. With its 64-mile Simrad radar, this is a yacht which looks capable of running safely, at speed, both day and night.

Speed and strength

The 101’s captain, Olivier Legrand, knew what he was getting into when he was asked to deliver the yacht from the Poole shipyard to St Raphael in the South of France, having previously captained a Sunseeker 84. “It was easy to get used to,” he told MBY. “It feels the same to drive as the 84. The quality of cruising is amazing.”

The three-week voyage gave the Frenchman ample opportunity to familiarise himself with his new charge, including a challenging passage across a choppy Golfe de Lion in Force 6 to 7 conditions. “We didn’t even have to throttle back,” he said approvingly. “It was very smooth.” Legrand generally adopts between 25 and 26 knots as a fast cruise, which in his experience gives the yacht a safe range of about 600 nautical miles. The maximum speed Legrand has recorded on trials is an impressive 32.4 knots – comfortably in excess of the figure Sunseeker claims for the twin-engined 101 Sport Yacht.

Sandy ’s engineroom, with its twin V16 MTUs competing for breathing space with generators, hydraulic pumps, air-conditioning units, electrical control panels and a simply enormous engine exhaust system is, to put it mildly, a little cramped. The reason is not hard to track down: other priorities have prevailed.

The tender garage can swallow up a 14ft 9in jet-RIB, two Seabob sleds and a personal watercraft. Photo: Andy Cahill

The 101’s garage is impressively cavernous, and in Sandy it is put to good use accommodating a substantial 14ft 9in Williams 445 jet-RIB, as well as a couple of Seabob sleds, while with a little bit of organisation there looked to be room for at least another small personal watercraft.

The twin engine installation will probably prove perfectly adequate for most owners, with its top speed of 30-plus knots and relaxed cruising in the mid-20s, but for even more performance, the shipyard offers an Arneson-drive version of the 101, with a third V16 MTU. It’s difficult to see where they’d put it, but assuming space can be found, Sunseeker’s top speed estimate for this high-powered, surface-propeller version of the 101 is an astounding 46 knots.

So you might think that you know exactly what you’re getting when you look at a 101 Sport Yacht, but looks are barely the start of the story. It might be a production yacht, but every 101 is also a custom build. And in terms of on-board comfort and seagoing capabilities, the only limit is your own imagination.

Black Legend – Sunseeker Sport Yacht 101, No1

Sunseeker is well used to customising its yachts of over 100ft, whose owners can take advantage of the yard’s Bespoke service, but Black Legend , as the first 101 Sport Yacht is known, has to be one of the most extraordinary projects the shipyard has taken on so far.

Photo: Andy Cahill

This is not a yacht in which you nod politely while the interior designer outlines his vision and illustrates his themes – it’s a statement yacht and a bold one at that. It’s hard to say whether the death’s head motif is inspired by tales of Peter Pan and Captain Hook or Damien Hirst’s diamond encrusted skull but the result is certainly dramatic.

“The ideas and inspiration came directly from the owner and his personal taste,” the yacht’s captain explains. “His favourite colours constitute the general colour scheme of the boat.” Sunseeker’s design department worked closely with the owner and his captain to create a scheme that is uncompromisingly black and red, culminating in an interior which has the surreal qualities of a dream made real by David Lynch, or perhaps a particularly edgy nightclub. “As it was done in-house, the main cost was in time, plane flights and Dom Perignon for innumerable design meetings!” the captain recalls.

The master suite, complete with skull motif above the bed. Photo: Andy Cahill

As befits a memento mori, the skull motif is everywhere. You can’t escape it. Whatever his yacht’s unusual Gothic design might suggest, Black Legend ’s owner, who previously had a Predator 84 with the same name but a less dramatic Armani Casa interior, is a man of conventional yachting habits who enjoys cruising the French Riviera and the Balearic Islands with his family, spending two to three months aboard during the summer.

According to his captain he chose the 101 because of its big stern garage and Sunseeker’s willingness to customise. He also paid tribute to the excellent warranty team at Sunseeker France.

This review first appeared in the September 2015 issue of Motor Boat and Yachting

Price as reviewed:

£7,000,000.00

LOA: 97ft 9in (29.80m) Beam: 22ft 7in (6.89m) Draught: 7ft 6in (2.30m) Displacement (half load): 90 tonnes Fuel capacity : 2,860 imp gal (13,000 litres) Water capacity : 440 imp gal (2,000 litres) Engines: Twin 2,640hp MTU 16V 2000 M94s Optional engines: Triple 2,640hp MTU 16V 2000 M94s Top speed: 30 knots Cruising speed: 26 knots Cruising range: 400 miles

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Sunseeker Superhawk 55 Review (2023 Edition)

The Hawk flies again, and it looks sensational. The new Superhawk 55 takes Sunseeker back to its powerboat routes but adds plenty of onboard flair and a few surprises.

The Hawk family and particularly the Superhawk name has always been about cool but very capable sportsboat style. This latest model, the first to bear the name for a decade, continues the trend with a sharp exterior design that really delivers onboard. We checked out hull #1 to see whether this latest Hawk will soar as high as its predecessors.

Sunseeker Superhawk 55 Key Facts

• LOA 56.201ft
• Model Year 2023
• Max Speed 38 knots
• Status In Production
• Yacht Type Sports Yacht
• Use Type Weekending

Test & Review Video

YachtBuyer Score

In this article:

Our Verdict

Rivals to consider.

• Specification

Our Scores Explained

Design & Build

Few if any other yacht builders have a sports pedigree to match Sunseeker. Still based on the Jurassic Coast of England, Sunseeker was born out of powerboat racing around the British Isles, teaming up with renowned race designers like Don Shead and Fabio Buzzi on its high-octane journey. 

Put simply, sportsboats matter to Sunseeker and you can see that it has poured so much time, thought and know-how into this boat. From the moment you board, with its neat Seabob boot, countersunk tender garage and tidy fairleads, the Superhawk is working.

The cockpit and interior keep up the pace, loaded with features and a surprising amount of space. The design allows the cockpit to run full beam, maximising the 4.9m (16ft) on offer. Smart side doors hinge out onto a deep, walkaround-style forward deck section to ensure practicality remains, no climbing over slippery foredecks here, but the design still somehow ensures the interior below is unaffected. In fact, the space below decks is surprisingly good. This is the biggest Hawk yet and it really feels it inside. 

New Hawk, New Times

Since the last Superhawk arrived, this market has gone through a revolution of speed and hedonism, fuelled by the superyacht tender market. Where once it was rare to find a $1m, 50ft sportsboat, it is now commonplace. So Sunseeker had to deliver something special. And it has. But one area where it has decided to remain conservative is on speed.

No one is going to suggest 40 knots is slow, but clearly Sunseeker has decided to make the Superhawk usably quick rather than outrageously so. It all goes back to its real-world offshore racing days. Sunseeker knows that anything much past 40 knots requires a very different mindset onboard, one where safety and skill at the helm massively increase. It decided to opt for a Volvo Penta IPS-950 725hp pod drive installation to deliver fast, efficient and very usable performance.

Others in this field are pushing way past 50 knots, with Tecnomar’s recent 63 Lamborghini collaboration hitting 60 knots courtesy of twin 2,000hp engines. It all depends on what you want and, more importantly, where you boat. If there are waves, 40-knots is plenty.

Interior Accommodation

Hawk models of the past were always more about sleek lines than spacious interiors and having experienced the sharp exterior and innovative deck design here, we were not ready for the space that opens up below decks. 

A massive lower salon greets you. The headroom is incredible as is the finish, combining to create a modern, architectural feel that is also very inviting. The level of design that has been poured into the salon is outstanding, a mix of Zaha Hadid and supercar. The towering headroom is capped by an atrium-like glass deckhead with an industrial, tubular lighting matrix across it. It’s new, unique and very Superhawk.  

Super Cruiser

It is hard to see the Superhawk as anything other than a very cool and capable weekender but the galley and two ensuite cabins certainly have other ideas. There is a full-height fridge freezer, cooker, hob and even a dishwasher. Storage is tight, but the cockpit will be able to take plenty of overspill, as we will come to. 

The owner’s cabin lies forward, with an easily accessed double berth, a TV and hull windows. It feels big, as does the wardrobe and ensuite, with a proper shower stall. That still leaves a separate, full-beam mid-cabin for guests. There is a good entranceway but not quite full-standing headroom around the berth. The clearance above the bed is good and it feels like a proper cabin with its hull-side glass and ensuite.

Helm Station

A race boat helm for this Superhawk feels right and looks superb. The central helm position, with co-pilots to each side, allows the skipper to look directly over the bow, snug bolster seats looking after you very well. 

The digital cone-dials are a great touch, adding another hit of powerboat cool, with two big MFDs taking care of the navigation and engine data. As an IPS boat you get joystick control, but also a bow thruster, so handling this boat around the marina won't be an issue even if short-handed.

Deck lifestyle

If the interior was the surprise, the deck is the gift that keeps on giving. Watch our show tour of the Superhawk to best understand the versatility and functionality at play here, but the main stories are the cockpit seating design and walkaround decks. 

The cockpit, topped by a graphite hardtop, is probably the best and most practical example yet of the sliding seat concept. The best because it works so well and the most practical because its simple design will keep on doing so, while also allowing a colossal amount of stowage to be worked in.

The standard layout creates a spread-out surround of seating leading onto a sunpad. The pad lifts and hinges to create various backrests or create a bench seat for the cockpit. The two forward L-shape seats can then pull in to make a dining area for a good 10 people, the table opening and revolving to look after them. But there is more than seating going on here, the L-shape seats pulling away to present a line of deep lockers to each side. 

The cockpit is served by a broad wet bar and grill, with plenty of cold storage, easily good enough to look after the expansive dining set-up and with a TV set within so you can watch films or sport al fresco. 

Side Issues

The side deck doors will grab plenty of headlines and rightly so. They are the feature that allows the cockpit to push out full-beam and are perfectly placed for the helm, allowing the crew to get forward quickly and very safely. The door mechanism looks fabulous, with giant stainless steel hinges, but the handle to operate the door needs some more clearance to get your fingers around it.

The side decks are excellent. Deep and wide they lead effortlessly forward and make the boat perfect for those with younger children - not always the case in this market. There is one more surprise on the foredeck, the sunpad sliding forward to create a footwell for a lounge set-up. A miraculous addition considering the headroom you enjoy below.

Value For Money

The big benefit of not going for fire-breathing race engines and surface drives is the cost saving that can be passed on to the customer. The pod drives and installation are no different to all the other boats that use the IPS-950 so that means efficient performance and sensible servicing, as opposed to high performance motors just waiting to punish you at the fuel pontoon or every time a service interval arrives. 

The base price (at the time of writing) is £1.4 million ex VAT, which no doubt will rise as the most desirable options are added but for something so stylish and useable that feels like relatively good value, certainly in contrast to some of its more exotic rivals.

The biggest ever Hawk doesn’t disappoint. It looks fast while standing still, delivers fantastic deck lifestyle and a tardis of an interior that belies the sleek powerboat style. 40-knot performance might not grab any headlines but if the latest Sunseeker hull design allows all of that speed to be used, this boat will rank as one the the best sportsboats out there and another Hawk great. 

Reasons to Buy

• Excellent deck design
• 40-knot IPS-950 performance
• Surprisingly spacious interior
• Central race-style helm station

Things to Consider

• Lack of engine options
• Door mechanism

This 50ft sportsboat market is now hugely competitive. But if you want a performance boat that also functions as a cruising yacht the field narrows.

We have discounted the very many 17m hardtop sports yacht models as they form a different market and, if we did include them, we would be here all day.

Two obvious rivals stand out, for different reasons. The Wally 58 is another IPS boat hitting around 40 knots and near identical on size to the Superhawk. But it is a Wally so there are three IPS-700 drives and the styling is, well, Wally. It arguably out-spectacles the Superhawk on deck, with its extending cockpit and spread of seating beneath its stealthy hardtop. But there is less accommodation below. The salon and forward cabin are just as special as the Sunseeker’s but the optional guest quarters are tight.

The other name that any sports-lux review should include is Riva, it’s Rivale model is a more conventional design onboard, with a similarly two cabin layout to the Sunseeker, but it looks utterly beautiful outside and will hit 38 knots with the biggest 1,200hp MAN engine option.

Specifications

• Builder Sunseeker
• Range Performance
• Model Superhawk 55
• Length Overall 56.201ft
• Beam 16.175ft
• Draft(full load) 4.692ft
• Yacht Type (Primary) Sports Yacht
• Use Type (Primary) Weekending
• Cruising Speed Max Speed
• Fuel Capacity 476 Gallons
• Fresh Water Capacity 114 Gallons
• Engine Model 2x Volvo Penta D11-IPS950
• Engine economic speed 8.6 knots
• Engine max range (speed type) 369 nm

Sunseeker Superhawk 55 Layout

Innovation and sports style merge in spectacular fashion. The two L-shape corner seats pull in to create a dining area and access to massive deck lockers. Note the central helm station. 

Surprisingly spacious, the salon and two cabins makes this a genuine sports cruising yacht. 

Carl Richardson

Carl is a writer, editor, presenter and content creator specialising in yachting as well as men’s luxury. A former magazine editor, Carl has amassed some 20 years of hands-on experience with motorboats, testing over 350 models.

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The 8 Best New British Yachts on the Water, From Sunseeker to Fairline

Quality among the top u.k. builders is always a given. it's the range of yacht designs that may surprise you..

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As an island, boats have always been the lifeblood of Great Britain. And many British yacht builders continue to uphold the country’s proud naval and maritime traditions. While there are a handful of superyacht builders, the UK isn’t known for eye-wateringly huge megayachts or avant-garde design—though that has changed as its largest international brands compete with the style-obsessed Ferretti Group and Azimut brands.

But what you do find with the Brits is well engineered vessels with a high level of attention to detail in both the interior and exterior design. From semi-custom motoryacht builders like Princess and Sunseeker to the rarefied realm of a highly sought-after Pascoe limousine, there’s something here for nearly every yachtsman.

And thanks to enduring popularity, there is nearly always a British-built sailboat from the Oyster yard, somewhere just over the horizon. In fact, whether you’re cruising the waters of the Caribbean, New England, or the South of France, you’ll find U.K. brands along with the highest luxury offerings from Italy and Northern Europe.

Here are seven of Britain’s finest, newest, and most noteworthy vessels on the water.

Project Fox, Pendennis Shipyard

This 114-foot explorer yacht, overseen by project manager Burgess and in build at the Pendennis shipyard in Falmouth, was designed around the owner’s wishes. It has a rugged exterior that will be paired with a bright, contemporary interior by QLondon Design. The owner told Robb Report that he plans to cruise off-grid to remote areas like Norway for heli-skiing with his family and friends (thus necessitating five large staterooms). But he also wanted family-friendly features like a sun terrace, wine lobby, open-air barbecue, and DJ station. Of course, the real breakthrough here: The open stern, measuring more than 1,100 square feet can carry a large complement of toys and tenders, but also scientific equipment (the interior has space for a modular lab) for when the yacht is hosting research scientists. “Flexible cabins and connectivity are key,” said the owner.

The ubiquitous model of the Pearl lineup, the 72 received a creative new interior design earlier this year with the addition of a stateroom that gives it two master suites. The U.K. yard has always been high on haute design, offering different palettes by British interior designer Kelly Hoppen, but this double-master suite idea is a first for this size of motoryacht. The yard has recently won awards for the naval architecture of its 95, which approaches superyacht status, and it will be launching a new 85-foot flybridge next year.

Fairline Targa 40

Fairline is also among England’s internationally renowned yacht brands, famous for seaworthy hulls and top-tier creature comforts. It hasn’t built yachts as large as competitors Princess and Sunseeker but has been equally creative with the design. The new Targa 40’s cockpit is a case in point. It has an enticing exterior layout, with the cockpit featuring a foldout terrace to starboard and a U-shaped dining settee to port facing the rest of the deck, not to mention the two sun lounges on the stern. The 40 is effectively a dayboat, but with two staterooms, it also works as a family weekender. There’s a master in the forepeak and guest cabin amidships which is best suited for children. The galley below decks is also very functional. Top speed for the Targa is 36 knots with the optional Volvo Penta D6-380 upgrades.

Princess Y80

Along with Sunseeker, Princess Yachts is the other heavyweight of British yacht building. These cruisers and motoryachts have proven to be perennial favorites on both sides of the Atlantic. The Y80 debuting at this year’s Cannes Yachting Festival looks to continue the tradition. The Y80 brings to the table an “infinity cockpit” with a glass transom and modular furniture for multiple setups. It also has a flybridge that spans about two-thirds of the yacht’s nearly 84-foot length, effectively creating a legitimate third deck. The Y80’s owner’s stateroom is amidships and full beam, while it has a VIP in the forepeak. Two other guest cabins are to port and starboard. The Y80 has an impressive top speed of 30 knots, but at 10 knots the range is an even more impressive 1,000 nautical miles.

Cockwells Duchy Sport

The 37-foot Duchy Sport from the Cockwells’ yard in Cornwall, famous internationally for its custom tenders, is designed for watersports enthusiasts. This Sport offers multiple towing points for waterskiing, wakeboarding, wakesurfing and tubing, with interior space for nine guests. Bow and cockpit sunpads will be popular spots for tanning, while a Bimini covers the amidships. Standout features include a wetbar, retractable swim ladder, bowthruster with joystick control, and of course ample water-toy stowage. The Duchy Sport comes with twin 370 hp Yanmar 8LVs which can get it up to a top speed of 42 knots—a speed befitting of this model’s name. Cockwells is also building a new Duchy 60, a stylized motoryacht that should rival Downeast offerings from U.S. builders Hinckley and Malaysian builder Grand Banks.

The Oyster 495 is a 52-foot, 8-inch sailing yacht that entered the U.S. market earlier this year. A new design from the keel up, the U.K. builder was thinking global circumnavigation, or at least serious offshore cruising, from the onset. The yacht is also meant to be able to be singlehanded by a capable sailor. The plumb bow and teak decks imbue the 495 with a definite saltiness with performance and aesthetics. The cabin is noteworthy for being both ergonomic and well-lit. Reported top speeds for the 495 crest the 10-knot mark under sail, while a 100 hp Yanmar diesel pushes it along happily at 9.5 knots.

Sunseeker Superhawk 55

Sunseeker is one of England’s brands that has a global following. For good reason. The Poole builder has a range of vessels that extend from 38 to 161 feet. Sunseeker is known for good oceangoing performance and creative design. The Superhawk 55 is a reimagining of the Superhawks that enjoyed popularity with performance enthusiasts in the 1990s and Aughts before being discontinued in 2009. Sunseeker introduced the Superhawk 38 in 2020, which had echoes of its go-fast past. This 55, however, is more of a performance cruiser than a day boat. With twin Volvo Penta IPS950s the new Superhawk has a very respectable top end of 38 knots and a feature even Miami Vice hot-boat aficionados will appreciate—slow-speed maneuverability offered by pod propulsion. An aggressively raked profile complemented by stiletto-sharp hullside windows augment the Superhawk’s sporty vibe.

Pascoe E-Limousine Electric Tender

Pascoe tenders reside in the garages of some of the world’s biggest and most glamorous superyachts, thanks to the yard’s dedication to customization. The E-Limousine is the builder’s first fully electric vessel, the result of six years of R&D. Top speed is reported to be an impressive 40 knots, with a range of 60 nautical miles at a fast cruise of 20 knots. The builder says not only is this boat greener than a traditional tender but will also offer a smoother, quieter ride thanks to the construction used to mitigate vibration.

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• Sunseeker Yachts

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Sunseeker 90 Ocean: On board Sunseeker's flexible new yacht

Sunseeker’s new 90 Ocean is a flexible yacht ideal for those who don’t want to have to choose between space and style.

You think you know a brand, then they go and launch a boat that contains so many surprises you have to think again. Sunseeker’s new 90 Ocean had just that effect on me when I toured the boat in the late afternoon sun of the Cannes Yachting Festival last year.

Based loosely around the technical platform of the existing 88 yacht, the new boat nevertheless differs markedly and has been redesigned from the keel up. Sitting in the middle of the yacht range of the Poole, UK-based boatbuilder, the 90 is the first boat to carry the “Ocean” suffix. Naturally enough, my first question is: why?

“The 88 is a planing yacht and so is the 90, but it is beamier,” says specifications development manager Nick Lean. “It still has the deep V hull, but it is a little step up in seakeeping ability. She is wider and with a lower centre of gravity – it is absolutely amazing the stability you get whenever you head out of Poole, where you always have a heavy sea state.”

That extra 69 centimetres of beam and 72 centimetres of length have been put to good use. She offers around 120GT of interior volume – roughly 20 per cent more than the 88, and  30 per cent more deck space. Put the two boats side by side and you’d immediately notice the gentler curve and extra height to the bluff bow of the bigger boat – all adding good volume forward, to the benefit of the VIP cabin.

That’s all very well, but if we’re looking at the bow, we’re really focusing on the wrong end of this boat. “The whole concept is extending the beach club,” Lean says. And extend it they have, with an impressive 24 square metres of space on offer. To wring even more use out of this area at the stern, Sunseeker has developed an innovative system it calls X-Tend. This is basically a cleverly designed transom door. In the down position, it keeps the huge transom toy locker watertight and offers full-length loungers on the bathing platform. Press a button, though, and the hydraulics whirr quietly to life, raising the door until it is just above the horizontal. Now the lounger is reversed, facing into the seating area of the main deck above. The backrest becomes the seat and vice versa. It has added an extra two metres of usable length to the aft deck.

Sunseeker’s promotional images show kids playing happily in these loungers and it is true, this would make a great family boat. But there is another useful side effect of the X-Tend system. “It creates privacy when up,” says Sunseeker CEO Andrea Frabetti with evident satisfaction. Sitting on the aft deck with the curious crowds of Cannes passing by on the quay astern, you can instantly see his point. The slight upward turn of the lounger backs prevents people from gazing at you.

There is a small trade-off in terms of the usability of the bathing platform below. The space within the transom is reduced to straightforward storage – no pretence of a teak-lined beach club. But then again, it is often said that these areas are a mirage since they are typically used for storing damp toys and equipment in any case.

It changes the orientation of the aft deck space, too, opening it up. Instead of a large inward-looking sofa with its back to the view, the glass barrier can be fully folded back to connect the seating areas on the deck and the beach club. “This can be the problem with this kind of boat, because you have a separation,” says Frabetti. “In the Med, people all want to be around the beach club.” In the Ocean 90, he and his team have found a persuasive solution for this. Wide side decks lead to a good-sized forward lounging area. It is flexible, with shallow seating and a small triangular table on each bulwark, a triple sunpad in the middle and a long sofa-cum-chaise longue running the length of the windscreen.

But the huge 62.2-square-metre flybridge is the real social centre of the 90 Ocean. On our boat, there are freestanding Minotti sofas and armchairs in dark synthetic raffia with deep, inviting cushions. A glass bulwark leaves the view aft unencumbered, while low GRP bulwarks on either side are reinforced with gleaming stainless-steel railings.

“We decided to keep everything very low on the sides, so you can get cooling winds and 360-degree views,” says Frabetti. “It is a flybridge, after all! You’re really on a terrace up here.” To prove his point, he flicks a switch and the fabric panel in the hardtop smoothly retracts, flooding the flybridge with Riviera sunshine.

Options are legion, but among the most interesting are  a wet bar with drawer fridges, ice-maker and a glasstop  bar, an integrated barbecue and an infinity spa pool.  That’s not touching on the acres of sunpads forward and  the full control station and twin pilot seats to enjoy the driving experience.

Sadly it wasn’t possible to take the boat out for a spin in Cannes, where the yachts were wedged in two or three deep along the quays. But if we had, the lightweight foam-cored GRP build for which Sunseeker is known would have given us an exhilarating ride at up to 27 knots. The two MAN V12 engines drive twin shafts, and owners can choose between a standard 3,300 horsepower or a superpowered 3,800 horsepower for an extra two knots.

Of course, at maximum revs, the 13,000 litres of fuel will only get you a few hundred kilometres. At a more reasonable 10 knots, the boat’s range moves out to an impressive 1,800 nautical miles. It’s not enough to cross the Atlantic on your own bottom, but it makes light of long hops down to the Med or along the Intracoastal Waterway.

Sunseeker has a 100-strong design team at its sprawling production site in Poole, and they have worked hard to create a sense of volume inside the new boat. “Increasing the interior spaces and the inclusion of floor-to-ceiling glass windows achieved an open-plan floating penthouse style which was the concept discussed by the design team at the outset of the project,” says sales and marketing director Sean Robertson.

“Full-height glazing on the main deck and a move toward more freestanding furniture gave us the ability to create a different interior feel  to other Sunseeker yachts, while maintaining  a consistency of design language in terms  of material selection and our approach to luxurious practicality.”

Those windows with their slim mullions mean that the seascape forms the background to every glance. The central section of the exterior bulwarks is in glass, further reducing the distance between you and the sea. Furniture is all freestanding, giving a sense of lightness and  space. It can be selected by the owner, but Minotti is a Sunseeker staple.

The open-plan galley only adds to the sense of volume. An island with three optional bar seats is the main preparation area, with cabinets in brushed stainless steel and wood of a deep chocolate hue. It is as well found as any kitchen ashore. “We wanted to have an open-plan galley because the owner wants to be connected,” explains Frabetti.

Even the bridge is half open to this huge multi-dimensional social area, creating sightlines that run from bow to stern. It too is a social space, with a comfy corner sofa and small table on one side and two deep black pilot chairs in front of the navigation console. Both have unbeatable views ahead, as well as through the skylights overhead.

Sunseeker has drawn up a library of different woods, fabrics, stone and metallic trim that  is broadly complementary, and owners can select according to their taste. Robertson says that the aim is a “timeless contemporary-classic” style, which feels like a widely cast net.

The lighting has been carefully designed to enhance the natural light. Wall lights, spots and soft, indirect LED lighting all combine to emphasise the use of different textured materials – the weave of a headboard fabric or the grain of leather. It all comes together in the large full-beam owner’s cabin amidships on the lower deck. With its large dressing area, dual basins and cosy seating areas, lighting plays a real role in emphasising the width of this space. So too  in the two en suite guest cabins which lie across the corridor aft. “This layout would benefit a family with young children,” says Robertson.

It also imposes two internal staircases to access guest accommodation and a third external one for the crew, nibbling into the main saloon. This might seem too generous in a 27 metre, but there are some benefits. The full beam is more efficiently used because there is no need for a corridor running fore and aft. This is particularly felt in the owner’s cabin, which has plenty of space despite its imperial-size bed measuring two metres by two metres, sofa and vanity  table. For the VIP cabin, which occupies the whole of the bow in majestic solitude, it means a private staircase through the forward bulkhead of the bridge.

Ocean is a new line for Sunseeker, and you can see how the thinking has evolved from earlier models. Quite how it translates for the smaller boats remains to be seen, but in the case of the 90 it is a stylish, flexible yacht with a bit more stability and a whole load more volume. Ideal for those who don’t want to have to choose.

First published in the May 2022 edition of BOAT International. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.

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3 New Sunseekers at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show

• By Yachting Staff
• August 23, 2023

British builder Sunseeker plans to display three new models at the 2023 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in October. The Predator 75 will make its global debut, the 100 Yacht will make its U.S. debut, and the Ocean 182 will be featured as a new model at the Florida event, following its official unveiling at the Newport International Boat Show in Rhode Island. These new models will join a lineup for showgoers that also includes Sunseeker’s 88 Yacht, Predator 65 , Manhattan 55 and Superhawk 55 .

Article At-A-Glance

• Sunseeker plans to display three new yachts at the 2023 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.
• The Sunseeker Predator 75 will be shown for the first time worldwide.
• The Sunseeker 100 Yacht will be unveiled to U. boaters for the first time.
• The Sunseeker Ocean 182 will continue its US tour as one of the builder’s newest models.

Sunseeker Predator 75

The Sunseeker Predator 75 is the new flagship in the Predator line, which also includes the Predator 55 Evo , Predator 65 and Predator 74 XPS. Like all of the Sunseeker Predator models, the new flagship is designed for indoor-outdoor excitement with a sliding sunroof as well as a cockpit door and window that lower, creating one big cockpit-salon entertaining and relaxation space.

Predator 75 Guest Spaces

On the Predator 75, Sunseeker created guest spaces that maximize options for making the most of the day, inside and out. Aft, in the cockpit, there’s seating and dining, as well as a sunbathing area just steps from the swim platform at the water’s edge. The garage is big enough to accommodate a Williams 395 SportJet tender for watersports, gunkholing and heading ashore to the beach. Side decks connect the cockpit to the forward section of the yacht , where more seating and sunbathing spaces await.

Inside, the Predator 75 has accommodations for six to eight guests and two crew. There are three en suite guest staterooms, including a full-beam master with a chaise for hiding away with a good book. Owners can order the yacht with an optional fourth stateroom. Additional dining space is on this deck, near the galley-down, for days when the weather makes indoor seating ideal.

Predator 75 Performance and Key Specs

According to Sunseeker’s data, the Predator 75 has a top speed of up to 40 knots. Engine options include twin 1,550 or 1,900 hp MAN V-12 engines. Range at a cruising speed of 21 knots is reportedly 330 nautical miles, based on the fuel capacity of 1,268 gallons.

This yacht is certified CE Category A, which means it’s made to head out on the ocean for extended voyages. It can withstand winds higher than 40 knots and wave heights above 13 feet (but not hurricane conditions)—not that most weekend cruisers want to be out in those types of seas, but it’s good to know the boat can take it, if a storm kicks up on the way home.

Sunseeker 100 Yacht

The Sunseeker 100 Yacht is the new flagship in the builder’s Yacht line. With the 100 Yacht, Sunseeker incorporated a full-beam owner’s stateroom forward on the main deck with a private bow terrace and sunbathing hideaways. The master also has a lobby entrance, a walk-in closet, an office and panoramic views. Overall, there are accommodations on board for 12 guests and five crew.

100 Yacht Guest Spaces

One of the premier guest spaces aboard the Sunseeker 100 Yacht is up on the flybridge , which—in a first for the British builder—allows for uninterrupted walkaround access, including to the foredeck. Guests on the flybridge can relax in the seating near the bar or on the freestanding furniture aft, while crew have direct access to the flybridge from the galley (separate from the guest stairway) for ease of serving food and drinks.

Inside, on the main deck, the salon has sole-to-ceiling glass for allowing in natural light. There’s a 55-inch TV for movie nights on the hook. Outside and aft, the beach club allows access to the water as well as to the water toys and tender garage. The yacht can be ordered with Sunseeker X-TEND, which is a sunbed that transforms into multiple seating configurations at the stern.

100 Yacht Performance and Key Specs

The Sunseeker 100 Yacht is available with multiple engine packages. The standard power plants are twin MTU 12V 2000 M96Xs, while the optional diesels are twin MTU 12V 2000 M96Ls. The builder reports a top hop of 30 knots, as well as a 1,300-nautical-mile range at a cruising speed of 10 knots.

Length overall on the 100 Yacht is 97 feet, 11 inches, with a beam of 22 feet, 8 inches and a draft of 6 feet, 10 inches. The tender garage is sized to hold a Williams SportJet 460 along with a Sea-Doo GTX 255 personal watercraft, as well as smaller water toys such as Seabobs, scuba gear and paddleboards.

Sunseeker Ocean 182

The Sunseeker Ocean 182 measures just shy of 89 feet length overall and falls in the middle of the builder’s five-yacht Ocean line of vessels. With this newest Ocean model, Sunseeker’s team set out to create what is essentially a floating penthouse, with sole-to-ceiling sliding doors to starboard and matching windows to port, allowing for uninterrupted views.

Ocean 182 Guest Spaces

The upper deck on the Sunseeker Ocean 182 has retractable sliding doors, which means the space can be fully enclosed and climate-controlled, or used as an open, alfresco balcony. This is also where the yacht’s helm is located—and it’s a first for Sunseeker, situating the sole helm on the upper deck. A bar is next to the helm for snacks and drinks, with seating and a TV aft, leading to an outside space with lounge seating.

Down at water level, the Ocean 182’s beach club has a hydraulically lifting swim platform, a retractable passarelle, a shower, speakers for the owner’s favorite music, a barbecue and Sunseeker’s X-TEND convertible seating.

Ocean 182 Performance and Key Specs

The Sunseeker Ocean 182 is rated CE Category B, which means it’s intended to operate offshore with winds up to 40 knots and seas as high as 13 feet. Sunseeker offers the yacht with twin 1,650 or 1,900 hp MAN V-12 engines, providing a reported top-end speed of 27 knots. At 12 knots, Sunseeker says the Ocean 182 has a range of 1,800 nautical miles.

Draft is 6 feet, 5 inches on the Ocean 182, with a beam of 23 feet, 6 inches.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which yachts will Sunseeker display at the 2023 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show?

The debuts will include the Predator 75, 100 Yacht and Ocean 182. Additional models are expected to be displayed are the 88 Yacht, Predator 65, Superhawk 55 and Manhattan 55.

Where is Sunseeker based?

In Poole, in the United Kingdom. The builder was originally known as Poole Power Boats, founded back in 1969. It changed its name to Sunseeker International in 1985.

Who owns Sunseeker?

The Beijing-based conglomerate called Wanda Group acquired a majority stake in Sunseeker in 2013.

How substantial is Sunseeker’s shipyard?

It employs about 2,000 people and turns out somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 boats every year.

What percentage of Sunseeker boats are exported worldwide?

About 98 percent, according to the company.

Is it true that Sunseeker is working on its first hybrid-power yacht?

Yes. As of mid-2023, Sunseeker says it’s “close to launching” its first production yacht with hybrid power.

Does Sunseeker work with any charities?

Yes. The yachtbuilder sends donations to Macmillan Cancer Support.

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56 Sunseeker Manhattan

Source: Boatpoint Magazine

The Sunseeker Manhattan 56 comes from Britain, has an American moniker, and a swish new Australian specification – a winning alliance, David Lockwood reports

Today’s big-boat buyers have been conditioned to expect an inventory as long as a deckhand’s right arm, commodities and comforts that were unheard of only a few years ago, and a standard of living once the preserve of patrons of five-star hotels.

Things like a wetbar with crystal glasses, home cinema and plasma screen, air-conditioning, dashing designer fittings and Euro-inspired soft furnishings are becoming de rigueur on big boats these days. So, too, hydraulic swim platforms, electric sunroofs and push-button side windows.

The British-born Sunseeker Manhattan 56 motoryacht has all these things and something completely unexpected. The pièce de résistance isn’t some trick fitting listed on the specifications sheet. No, the thing that makes this boat special is a fantastically opulent, full-width, aft master cabin.

The owners’ cabin on this owner-driver 56-footer is akin to what big-boat buyers have come to expect on 70-footers and fully crewed superyachts. But the reason you won’t find the cabin on the specifications sheet is that Sunseeker Australia commissioned the boat this way.

The Manhattan 56 seen on these pages had a lot of exclusive details to satisfy savvy local big-boat buyers. The boat could well be renamed the Point Piper, Port Douglas or Port Phillip 56. Sunseeker is a progressive boatbuilder that distinguishes itself from other UK luxury motoryacht yards by bending to various market demands.

A giant killer, the Manhattan 56 had several other smart changes in its semi-custom interior. Both the British factory and Sunseeker Australia worked through the ideas and met at various stages during the construction process. Everything went according to plan and it works even better in real life than it does on paper.

Among the other unique touches are an open-plan saloon that creates an atrium-like effect around the internal helm and forward dinette area. The galley, usually set below saloon level, was raised to blend in with the living areas and the furniture was modified.

The boat has nice touches like three electric saloon windows for cross-flow ventilation. And practical changes like the crew quarters hiding back aft. Popular in Europe, the crew quarters were converted into a special utility room because local owners prefer to drive.

Reverse-cycle air-conditioning was upgraded to six units for tropical or Tassie climes. Another nice touch was the dedicated crockery cupboard for the Royal Doulton dinner set. The Dartington crystal, also supplied by the factory, resides in its own locker near a cocktail cabinet.

Collectively, these things make the Manhattan 56, the smallest model in Sunseeker’s motoryacht range, more like the popular Manhattan 64. The local agent admits they adopted many of the ideas for the 56 from its big brother after would-be owner feedback at various boat shows.

The 64 has been a big seller, but not everyone has $3.7 million to throw at a boat. This 56 costs more than a million less, yet it has almost as much space. And a full-width owners’ cabin.

A boat for people who prefer to live aboard, the new Manhattan’s interior flows for entertaining with the family or a large group of friends. There are currently four Manhattan 64s in Australia, but it’s my guess a lot more baby brothers will join them in the future.

A LIFT IN STANDARDS I have been aboard various Sunseeker motoryachts over the years. In the early days, the boats weren’t finished to the standard I had come to expect of other UK boatbuilders. But in the last year, all that has changed.

Components such as hinges, catches, doors, taps, shower fittings and carpet on this 56 were all high-quality. The inside of lockers and the flip side of the hatches tend to be lined these days, not left as bare fibreglass. In signature Sunseeker fashion, the fibreglass mouldings are futuristic and fair.

While the interior design is the work of one Ken Freivokh, just about every aspect of the boat is fed through computers. CNC routers and robotics are used to ensure things are cut to fit and don’t need fairing. The devil is very much in the detail of things like the timbers, which are grain and colour matched.

Considering the limited amount of work needed for predelivery, the boats must be well put together. Out of the box, there were no rattles, mismatched liners, dodgy hinges or loose screws on this 56. Basically, it’s a matter of cut the plastic wrap, perform the engine checks, fuel up and go.

Construction meets CE approval and the hand-laid GRP hull has stitched multi-axial rovings with a single-skin bottom and balsa-cored deck and topsides. Stiffening comes via stringers, bulkheads and floors.

The hull is one of Don Shead’s, a designer noted for superyachts among other craft. As with all Sunseekers, the boat has half tunnels, four-blade props, high-performance rudders and aggressive chines for lift. The engines are in a close-coupled vee-drive configuration.

IN THE BILGES I toured the engineroom with Danny Horvat, a professional skipper from Australian Super Yacht Management. Among the things he likes about it are the great access to the strainers, fuel filters and fuel shut-offs (inside and outside the engineroom), and the terrific access to the Mathers control boxes.

The fact that the engineroom is white and there’s lots of room under the 800hp Caterpillar motors allows you to nip oil leaks in the bud. The double air intakes for the motors go straight to the air filters on the turbos, ensuring they stay cool. Should the worst eventuate, the boat has been designed with a pop-out floor, so you can have the engines out in a day.

Because the motors are mounted aft, fuel and water tanks are positioned forward to offset their weight. There is an auto firefighting system, but no air shut-offs. But to prove commercial standards can be met, four Sunseekers are currently cruising around in NSW survey.

The engineroom has full headroom, permanent 24V extractor fans, and a 16kVa Kohler generator with silent underwater exhaust that feeds the six air-conditioning units. There is good access to all sides of the genset, which has its own filter, plus a 24-12V split-charging alternator.

Numbered and coded, the wiring is linked to a junction box and passed through a common duct running through the boat. The bowthruster, freshwater pressure system, and Vacuflush loos all run off a 24V circuit.

One also notices in the engineroom that just about everything of any significance is labelled. From the hydraulic unit to starboard to the boat’s 12/24V battery system, all of it is tagged and easily located on expanded diagrams in the manuals.

The owners’ manual, a weighty tome in itself, is packaged with spares ranging from globes to fuses and filters. There is also a tool kit, boat hook, mooring ropes, fenders and even a towel set.

TOUR OF DUTY Where better to start than the submersible hydraulic boarding platform? This is something Captain Horvat, who drives a Sunseeker Predator for its Sydney owner, believes is a godsend. Both tenders and tykes love the platform. It can carry a RIB around 3m in length or a rabble of kids who prefer to frolic in the shallows on the semi-submersed teak slats.

Nearby are the swim ladder, hot and cold handheld shower, and a locker hiding the 20m shorepower lead and freshwater marina connection. An alarm prevents you starting the motors with the swim platform down. A nice safety feature.

Moulded steps lead either side of the platform to the cockpit proper. The arrangement lets you access the boat with or without its tender on the tail. The central door means the aft corner seats come with an infill. Add an aftermarket brushed-alloy table and chairs and you have a shaded full-width lounge and an al fresco dining area for six people.

The brightwork dotted about the deck includes trendy oversized cleats, handy cockpit grabrails and a metre-high bowrail with an intermediate wire. The latter item coupled with this boat’s wide and flat sidedecks, formed almost like bulwarks, make this boat a breeze to get around.

This is just as well because there is a double-sized sunpad up front and lots of flat non-skid foredeck space upon which guests can mingle at anchor or chat when idling about the harbour or bay. Those high rails add to the security of what amounts to a separate forward entertaining deck.

Also on deck are lots of courtesy lights, a stainless steel rubrail, Delta anchor and 24V capstan ready to roll. The stainless steel pantograph wipers with freshwater washers keep the safety-glass windscreen clean, while a remote spotlight aids anchoring at night.

Add this to the 56’s contemporary deck mouldings and cool raked bridge with trendy superyacht-esque radar arch and you have a boat that not only looks good but whose decks can cater for all occasions.

Back aft, a hatch under the cockpit lounge and a ladder lead to the full-width utility room. Usually reserved as crew quarters, the storeroom has a washer/dryer and freezer, hot-water service, and space to stow six months’ worth of provisions. There is an outlet for hooking up power tools, too.

BRIDGE THE GAP A moulded stairwell – with a big cutout so you won’t bang your noggin on the way up – is the only access to the bridge. Sensibly, the importer elected to go open-plan inside the boat and delete the visually-intrusive internal bridge ladder.

The first thing to strike you in the bridge is the huge wraparound, low-slung, apartment-like lounge to port. With twin drinks tables, you can seat 8-10 guests. Other times, the backrest on the lounge hinges forward to create an extra big sunpad atop the bridge overhang.

Behind the copilot seat to starboard is an amenities centre with sink, 12/24V fridge and an icemaker. The door from the internal ladder is sealed with a cushion to make a kind of quasi second sunpad.

A small ceramic griddle was located in a console alongside the helm – one hopes no one sits on it while it’s still hot. The skipper has a bench seat big enough for two. The compact console is fitted with repeater 7in navigation screens, a stereo remote, a bowthruster control, Mathers electronic shifts and a sports wheel.

Despite being a 56-footer, the boat is breeze to drive. But in my view it’s best berthed from the internal helm station, where the vision through the saloon out the big stainless steel framed sliding saloon doors to the transom is better.

Left open, those saloon doors bring the outside inside. When closed, the Manhattan 56 is very much a private motoryacht. It has three cabins and two heads including, remember, that full-width master cabin. But first you must pass through the airy and elegant saloon.

SALOON STYLE Bone-coloured berber carpet and white leather lounges, black-and-gold Roman blinds, warm cherrywood joinery, light headliners and chrome or stainless steel rimmed downlights set the mood. The leather lounge to port is big enough for three or four people and rather opulent.

Opposite is the new galley up on the saloon level and way better than the original tucked down below. Being near the saloon doors, the galley will work for entertaining, too.

My only complaints are that the berber carpet is buff-coloured – don’t spill the canapes! – and that the galley is a fore-and-aft counter that’s difficult to operate at sea. Mid-passage lunches will put prawn rolls in place of the French onion soup.

Though not huge, the black granite benchtops add to the sophistication of the saloon. They harbour a recessed circular sink, a Bosch four-burner ceramic hotplate – no fiddle rails – and an extractor fan. But the Panasonic convection microwave will take care of most things, along with a half-sized fridge, pull-out garbage bin, and generous cupboard space.

Air-conditioning outlets, three opening electric windows and the big sliding saloon door ensure the living area is well ventilated whether cooking or cruising. The boat’s entertainment centre, with crockery cupboard and crystal glasses, is mounted in a return before the upper saloon.

On an upper level behind the windscreen to port is a lounge with a cherrywood dinette big enough for six people. The lounge faces a flat-screen television linked to a DVD surround-sound system that pops up from a timber cabinet. You can dine and enjoy the views, cruise and watch TV, or kick back and chat to the skipper alongside at the lower helm station.

Signposted by a blue leather Besenzoni helm chair with push-button adjustment, the lower helm is the best spot to drive the Manhattan 56. The boat drives like a limo and is responsive enough, thanks to big rudders, to be controlled on the wheel as well as the throttles.

The sportswheel, Mathers electronic controls and Raymarine electronics also make for hands-free or low-effort boating. Sunseeker Australia upgraded the radar and chartplotter, but the bowthruster and big stainless steel trim tabs are standard issue.

The tabs come in handy for maintaining your view when low-speed cruising, arm out the electric window, or tucked inside in winter with the reverse-cycle air-conditioning running. The walnut and low-glare grey dash look the part, more space-age or aeronautic than yacht in style. How quaint, a cigar lighter. Make mine a Cuban.

CRUISE LINER CABINS The Oz-designed Sunseeker 56 has three cabins and two heads via a not inconsiderable internal modification. The master cabin in the bow becomes the VIP guests’ cabin, the second cabin to port becomes the owners’ ensuite and doubles as a dayhead, and with the galley up, the aft cabin stretches full width.

Down five steps from the saloon and leading off a foyer area, the aft cabin is my reason for buying this boat. It’s over 4.50m wide with headroom of more than 1.85m except for an area over the queen-sized cot.

The Manhattan 56 is the only boat in this size bracket – aside from an aft-cabin cruiser – that I recall having a full-width owners’ cabin. Located somewhere near amidships, the owners get stability, privacy and quiet.

Off to the side of the bed are cherrywood drawers and cupboards, a long leather lounge, and a sideboard or dressing area adjoining more timber lockers. You could mount a laptop on the deck top.

A separate Sharp flat-screen television is on the wall facing the bed, which has more drawers in its base, and nearby is a cedar-lined wardrobe ready to swing the blue blazer.

A gold-and-cream quilted bedspread, mirrors and bedhead, gold curtains, and gorgeous lighting enhance the atmosphere. Air-conditioning and opening ports let you dial up a climate to suit.

Some owners mightn’t fancy their ensuite doubling as a dayhead. The solution is to lock the second door and tell your guests to use the forward head.

At either end of the boat, the bathrooms are pleasantly removed.

Both ensuites feature black-ice Avonite counters, Vacuflush loos, and full shower stalls with well-sealed doors that can be locked when underway. Full marks for the extractor fan and the groovy fittings including the multiple showerheads that give an all-over body wash.

On the port side is a kids’ or crew cabin with a narrow top bunk, but there is a wide bottom bunk that can sleep an adult. Even this small cabin comes with its own flat-screen television and is high on headroom, though there isn’t much in the way of storage space.

But the Manhattan 56 has a wonderful VIP guests’ cabin in the bow whose island double bed was topped in a striped-gold bedspread. There are surrounding lockers that form a classy curved cherrywood border, a hanging locker, drawers and floor space to dress. And another flat-screen television and air-conditioning controls.

A great cruiser for two couples or a family of four, the Manhattan 56 very nearly got my vote for the best imported cruiser of the year. I love the way in which two couples can lose themselves indoors. It really is a sleeping beauty. Oh, and a great drive too.

TRAVEL CALM Despite riding flatter than some of Don Shead’s other designs, the Manhattan 56 still responds to a touch of in-trim. With the nose down, I had perfect vision from the lower helm while hightailing it down a busy harbour.

But whether you drive up top or down below, the 56-footer is nimble. Its bowthruster and finger-tip electronic controls take care of close quarters parking. Sunseekers are handy offshore, too. The boat didn’t shudder at the prospect of tackling some messy stuff.

In fact, the 30,000kg (fully laden) hull handled the 20kt sea breeze and 1.5m swell with spilling white horses with aplomb. The boat remained dry, quiet and smooth. It’s very much a gentleman’s cruiser.

At 1600rpm, where the boat could hold plane at 14.7kt, the big 800hp Cats were barely purring. The turbos seemed happier, however, at 1750rpm where the boat made headway doing 18.7kt. According to Caterpillar, the 3406E engines make full power and torque at 1800rpm.

With the trim tabs up the boat surfed through the heads doing 25kt at 2000rpm. Top speed was 30.8kt at 2370rpm, but at such revs the big straight sixes will consume 153lt/h a side, says Caterpillar.

To me, the Manhattan 56 feels like a slippery boat and its sleek profile benefits sea-handling and stability. The hull stays on an even keel and virtually drives itself. It would have been easy to head interstate. Fuel capacity is 2500lt.

Since the first Aussie-designed 56 was imported here in January, the English factory has apparently taken orders for three boats from Euro buyers won over by the new specification. Yet again, we have beaten the Brits at their own game.

• The full-width owners’ cabin is to die for, the VIP guests’ cabin in the bow is huge and private, and the indoor and outdoor lounges make this a great entertainer.
• Forward dinette and seating opposite the lower helm make for a social passagemaker.
• Aft galley will better feed the masses at anchor.
• Good engineering.
• Saloon carpet butting up to galley won’t wear too well.
• No lights in the hanging lockers.
• Small top bunk in kids’ or crew cabin.
• Griddle on bridge is too exposed.
• Engineroom needs additional plumbing to meet survey.

Boat Specifications:  56 Sunseeker Manhattan

Sunseeker Manhattan 56

Options Fitted Generator upgrade, air-conditioning upgrade, bridge fridge, custom layout with new galley up, entertainment centre, electronics and more

Priced from: As above with full inventory

Material: Fibreglass with composite balsa decks

Type: Modified-vee planing hull

Length (overall): 18.65m

Beam: 4.59m

Draft: 1.30m (inc. props)

Deadrise: n/a

Weight: 26,700kg (half load)

Berths: Six

Fuel: 2500lt

Water: 750lt

Make/Model: Twin CAT 3406E

Type: In-line six-cylinder diesel engine w/ turbocharging and aftercooling

Rated hp: 800hp each @ 2300rpm

Displacement: 14.6lt

Weight: 1586kg

Gearbox (Make/ratio): ZF 2.092:1 V-drives

Props: Four-blade NAB bronze

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tader2112 New Member

Hi all! At FLIBS this year and looking at a brand new motor yacht. Narrowed it down to either the Azimut 53 or the Sunseeker Manhattan 55 . Both seem to be about the same price with the same wait time. Boating in the northeast for the summers and Florida for the winters. Any recommendations on which way to go?

Capt Ralph Senior Member

If it is down to these two choices; Manhattan

olderboater Senior Member

For me, that's a no brainer as I'd pick the Sunseeker. I find their quality of delivered boat to be better and I'd rather depend on them for warranty service. Also, I think the Manhattan's have an excellent ride and performance. I don't like that the only engine choices are Volvo. However, I do like that on the Sunseeker you can choose shafts vs pods and I'd choose shafts. If possible to get MAN's in the Sunseeker, I'd choose them. I like both layouts and designs as they are very similar.

Capt J Senior Member

Sunseeker without a doubt, much better sea boat and much better quality. Do a search for the Azimut delamination threads if you need any convincing at all. Here's the latest: Delaminating Azimut 55s....thoughts? - General Yachting Discussion | YachtForums: We Know Big Boats!

mapism Senior Member

Capt Ralph said: ↑ If it is down to these two choices; Manhattan Click to expand...

Oh, and by the way, you can save yourself the effort of asking in this forum "which way to go" between Azimut and anything else. Most folks will tell you to not go for Azimut regardless of what anything else is. As opposed to Sskr, which for some reason attracts a lot of fanboys. I already mentioned in the past that there must be good reasons why Azimut turnover puts Sskr (and just about anyone else in the industry) to shame, but this is something the cognoscenti don't seem to care about...

Liam Senior Member

I agree with MapisM. As for the delamination on the Azimut 55S, I saw 2 new 52 Manhattans delaminate, couple years ago, which where rectified under warranty asap. Sunseeker should be the least to have delamination because unlike Azimut they do not infuse hulls. Sunseeker infuses only the top-sides. I think of the major EU brands only Sunseeker and Ferretti do not yet infuse the hulls.

mapism said: ↑ It it's down to these two choices, I'd have neither. A 50+ flybridge is a decent enough size to pretend more than a boat designed for the wow factor vs. the clients while saving on build costs at the yard, which is essentially what IPS powered boats are. And in a sense, the fact that S/skr offers the choice between pods and shafts is even more concerning, since any hull can only be optimized for either one or the other propulsion, and never for both. In that type/size of boat, I'd rather have a Ferretti 550 any day of the week. No-compromise shafts only design, solid MAN engines, and an overall construction quality which is at least on par if not superior to both AZ and Sskr. No idea at all about price, but I guess they can't ask much more money than Azimut or S/skr, since most target clients are unlikely to accept a big price difference even if arguably they could be worth it, for the reasons I just mentioned. Click to expand...

tader2112 said: ↑ We wanted to check out the Ferretti 550 but the smallest they had at the show was the 720. We did inquire about price and wait time and it did seem to be on par with both the Az and Sskr. Is Ferretti really a step above them both? If so, where does Princess fit within this hierarchy? Click to expand...

mapism said: ↑ Oh, and by the way, you can save yourself the effort of asking in this forum "which way to go" between Azimut and anything else. Most folks will tell you to not go for Azimut regardless of what anything else is. As opposed to Sskr, which for some reason attracts a lot of fanboys. I already mentioned in the past that there must be good reasons why Azimut turnover puts Sskr (and just about anyone else in the industry) to shame, but this is something the cognoscenti don't seem to care about... Click to expand...

Riknpat Senior Member

I have friends with a Neptunus 50 something. Seems well built. They really like it. I've been on board once and liked it but I'm no expert. Cat engines. Northern Light gens. Side Power etc. US appliances plumbing and HVAC Can dollar advantage vis a vis pounds or euros. Factory near you in St. Catherines to track the build, fix things etc. Just a (patriotic) thought.

mapism said: ↑ I already mentioned in the past that there must be good reasons why Azimut turnover puts Sskr (and just about anyone else in the industry) to shame, but this is something the cognoscenti don't seem to care about... Click to expand...

Capt Ralph said: ↑ The OPs question was simple; Click to expand...

mapism said: ↑ And the first line of my reply (neither) was as simple as yours. Or didn't you like it because it was different, maybe? Besides, I don't think that expanding this simple reply with a different suggestion was completely out of place, also considering that the OP afterwards said "We wanted to check out the Ferretti 550" . Maybe he would appreciate also other sensible suggestions, if you have any. Click to expand...

mapism said: ↑ Maybe he would appreciate also other sensible suggestions, if you have any. Click to expand...

Capt J said: ↑ In that case the 55' Princess is a lot better choice for the U.S. market. Click to expand...

Further, Neptunus and Princess (introduced to this thread by others), should be looked at also for comparisons of good boats.

Fiammetta42 Member

Organise a test drive of the two prospects in choppy seas . One will be the clear winner .Shaft MAN vs of the Squeeker btw . Theres only so far you can go from the arm chair and boat show touch n feel comparisons . Try before you buy .

motoryachtlover Senior Member

OP search this forum for a lawsuit involving the Sunseeker dealer in S. Florida and make sure you steer clear of this particular dealer. Also it served as a good lesson on how a new boat purchase can be a riskier endeavor than buying used. You mentioned buying new and I thought you would find the thread very interesting to say the least.

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• Motor Boat Forum

Sunseeker, how are they?

• Thread starter dino_dino
• Start date 27 Jun 2010
• 27 Jun 2010

My dads boat is a sunseeker. Him and I think it is a really well put together boat. It is sleek but at the same time chunky and sturdy. Always goes well (30knts+) and the interior is very well put together. All electrics work on a 1986 boat and doesnt use much fuel. A fairline is almost the same quality but it does not have that suneeker air about it. I also think that the modern princesses are very lightly built for speed and not for quality. But thats just my thoughts.  

• 28 Jun 2010

Well-known member

dino_dino said: But, a Viking/Fairline is not making people look at you in the same way they look at a Sunseeker.......if thats something one wants....I am one of those who LOOK Click to expand...

Active member

There is no big difference in build quality between Princess, fairline and sunseeker in my opinion  

oceanfroggie

dino_dino said: ... is not making people look at you in the same way they look at a Sunseeker ... Click to expand...

Hello all Yes, it is true that it is best to go for the boat one like, no matter what others say or mean. I do like the express cruisers from Princess and Sunseeker. The Sunseekers cost more, so for the same money, I need go for a older one, if I go for the Sunseeker. But that is ok, if they are well made, hull, electronics, engine and so one. Thanks all  

• 29 Jun 2010

Sundowner Portofino

We have a Portofino 32 built in 1992. Very well built boat, no major complaints. But bits to watch out for when looking at 2nd hand. Because of the name and the ability to go fast, with the deep v hull look out for stress cracks along the hull where it comes out at an angle. Not sure what those bits are called. This is caused when people go to fast for to long in big seas and is a sign that the boat has been run hard. Depending on the age of bot check all of the window and hatch seals, the go after a while. On the drives check the bellows joint, if the boat has not been used for a while they can perish after new use, and this can cause expensive damage (I know from personal experience) Which engines are you looking at, the Volvos are bullet proof but smokey on older models. Look yourself in every bilge, at every detail that is hidden behind panels etc.. look for oil tracks inthe bilges, can indicate leaks etc... All in all though if you find a good one then itwill give you years of stress free boating.  

Sundowner Portofino;2557249[COLOR="Red" said: ]...... the Volvos are bullet proof [/COLOR] Click to expand...

OK let me rephrase that - so far my Volvos are bullet proof.  

Deleted User YDKXO

LoL When we got the boat I could only aford the squeeker, the blond with big ones and the medallion were just out of my price range. Still I have started saving my pennies again so there is still hope.  

Deleted User said: Anyway, to drive a Sunseeker, you need a chest wig, an oversized medallion around your neck and a fake tanned girlfriend with surgically enhanced breasts. Do you have all that? Click to expand...

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SUNSEEKER HERITAGE

WE BUILD DREAMS [1969]

Sunseeker Founder, Robert Braithwaite, dreamt of building a new kind of boat. Breaking boundaries in early boat design, Robert revolutionised the motor boat space with his early designs tailored to a handful of customers.

FATE CREATES OPPORTUNITY [1971]

In the early seventies, there were simply no significant builders of boats for the sports and leisure markets in the UK. The first craft to launch was the Sovereign 17 in 1971, closely followed by the Sovereign 20. By 1972, Sunseeker was exhibiting its boats at the Southampton Boat Show and keen to meet new customers. None other than Formula One driver Henry Taylor fell in love with the boats, but wanted to accommodate a full width sunbed. In an early example of Sunseeker giving customers exactly what they want, the team set about designing this unprecedented and ultimately successful new boat.

THE VOYAGE BEGINS [1972]

Robert’s younger brother John joined the business, and became influential in numerous award-winning designs as its Product Development Director, a role he retained for over 50 years until his retirement in 2019. Gaining momentum in the industry, Sunseeker were fulfilling the growing demand for sports cruisers, launching the Sports 23 and the Daycab 23.

MEETING THE MEDITERRANEAN [LATE 1970'S]

The Braithwaite brothers partnered with leading boat designer, Don Shead, to design a totally new kind of cruiser for the Mediterranean market. The Offshore 28 was the brainchild of this unique collaboration, the first of its kind made in Europe. Her innovative hull performance set the standard for performance crafts. Sunseeker International had arrived. 

AN ERA OF CONFIDENCE [1980'S]

Continuing to take cues from how their owners wanted to use their boats, Sunseeker was building exceptionally unique crafts. In the Portofino 31, the focus shifted from overnight accommodation to cockpits that could host large groups, yielding a wide and comfortable two-cabin boat that exuded style. Sunseeker had put the emphasis on enjoyment, fun and high performance, an era of confidence that manifested itself in the remarkable Tomahawk 37. Still loved to this day, this icon was yet another example of a practical boat delivering on absolutely everything Sunseeker promised.

IMAGINATION AND INNOVATION [1990]

The 90s introduced an era of style in boating. Sunseeker began to adopt soft shapes and curved silhouettes emerging in automotive design. Cue the Renegade 60, the first production boat with twin jet drives, combining performance, style and exceptional manoeuvrability. Sunseeker set the benchmark not just for imaginative boat design but increasingly, as one of the world’s leading boat builders.

A MILLENNIUM MILESTONE [2000]

The turn of the century saw Sunseeker set the pace with the launch of its then-largest ever motor yacht, the 105 Yacht, winner of two of the world’s most prestigious accolades at the International Superyacht Design awards. Advanced composite materials and the latest construction techniques created a new era of luxury boating. Ever larger superyachts followed such as the 37M Yacht, inspiring a new generation of yacht building. In 2015, Sunseeker celebrated the delivery of its 100th superyacht, marking several decades of Sunseeker innovation and craftsmanship.

THE SILVER SCREEN [2008]

Sunseeker appears in the fourth James Bond film, ‘Quantum of Solace’, with the 37 Metre Yacht, Superhawk 43, Sovereign 17 and a cameo appearance from Robert Braithwaite.

50 YEARS OF SUNSEEKER [2010]

Sunseeker celebrates its 50th anniversary. Sunseeker Predator 130 wins Showboats Design award for best Naval Architecture and becomes a finalist in the World Superyacht Awards. Combining raw power with sophisticated style, this two and a half deck Sport Yacht was designed for those who take pleasure from good taste.

SUNSEEKER FAMOUS FIVE [2021]

Sunseeker launch five new models together at the same time, the largest launch in company history. Friend of the brand Hugh Bonneville visits Poole shipyards to celebrate the arrival of the Manhattan 55, Predator 55 EVO, 65 Sport Yacht, 88 Yacht and 90 Ocean.

GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS

Sunseeker support the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Formula One Team for the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix, and enter into an official FIFA partnership for World Cup. In 2020, Sunseeker signs frame agreement with Rolls Royce for MTU engines.

THE FUTURE IS NOW [TODAY]

Sunseeker have continued to develop and perfect their yachts. Technical and design excellence has always been fundamental to the very fabric of  being a leading yacht manufacturer. Extensive new product development plan will double the Sunseeker range to 22 boats by 2023. Most recently, Sunseeker launched not one but five new models at the same time, reflecting the extraordinary pace of product development and a feat never before seen in the company’s history.

PRIMED FOR FUTURE GROWTH [TODAY]

Sunseeker continue to expand our first-class dealer network around the world. In 2021, Sunseeker appointed NextWave Yachting as new distributor serving Hong Kong, and OneWater Marine as the principal US distributor. This strategic change provides the ultimate support for clients as Sunseeker continues to grow.

TRIBUTE TO ROBERT BRAITHWAITE CBE, DL (1943 - 2019)

Founder. Pioneer. Visionary.

Robert Braithwaite Obituary

SUNSEEKER INNOVATION

Expert hands and extraordinary attention to detail. Passed from generation to generation, these are the most valuable skills required to make a Sunseeker. In an era of digital production and automated assembly, we stay committed to creating hand-built, hand-finished boats.

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