Share This Story
Ribquest Adventurer 7.8
This is a superb combination of engine and hull. As the seas became rougher, the ride remained completely unflustered. Every time I drive a RIB instead of my own hard hull, I bless their integral, all-around fendering. It was the Read More...
Sea Ray 19 SPX
Alex Smith heads back to Cannes for a test drive of Sea Ray’s new 19-footer. When I first heard about the launch of Sea Ray’s new 19-footer during the Cannes Boat Show, my initial reaction was to question whether it Read More...
Redbay Stormforce 650
… this latest Redbay 650 package is faster and more versatile than the one I enjoyed back in 2010. … this new, furniture-laden RIB achieves results out of all proportion to its pared-back predecessor … … whether you perch at Read More...
Quicksilver Activ 455
As a family boat that you can take anywhere on the back of the car, the Quicksilver Activ 455 has a lot going for it... it offers a great package for anyone who doesn’t want a bigger, more cumbersome boat... Read More...
Interboat Neo 7
… the Neo 7 is one of the freshest, most bracing and most noteworthy designs I’ve seen in the last couple of years. … it might just become the mainstream solution the pontoon-resistant UK boater has been waiting for. Weird Read More...
Ribquest 7.8
This is a superb combination of engine and hull. As the seas became rougher, the ride remained completely unflustered. Every time I drive a RIB instead of my own hard hull, I bless their integral, all-around fendering. It was the Read More...
Ranieri Cayman 19 Sport
The boat responds well to the engine trim and gives a well-balanced ride. … the ride the Cayman’s hull gave was very acceptable and possessed a good degree of ‘seakindliness’. … while it’s a safe degree of power for a Read More...
Beneteau Antares 12 – Used Boat Test
Once you drive the Antares 12, or for that matter its coupé sister the Flyer 12, you begin to wonder how the competing yards manage to charge the prices they do. Launched in 2005 with a price tag of £220,000, Read More...
Bayliner Element XR7
Bayliner Element XR7 Alex Smith investigates Bayliner’s answer to the ‘all-water’ party platform. What are we to make of this? A 25ft boat with seating for 16 people? A fibreglass monohull with rectangular internals? An open, blunt-bowed platform with Read More...
Yamarin Cross 75 BR
Put the throttle down and the pickup is tremendous … … the Cross 75 BR is precisely what it needs to be – a truly convincing flagship for a very impressive range. … if there’s nothing here that could reduce Read More...
XO 250
Open sports boats like the XO 250 are becoming increasingly popular. They are a great alternative to the big RIB, especially as they offer more comfort. This boat, in true Finnish character, has combined practicality, style and seakeeping. It is Read More...
Bavaria 400HT
The 400HT is a great boat to drive with what is no doubt an efficient, sea-friendly and tough hull It is practical and safe and has been designed with the family in mind … … due to its versatile hardtop Read More...
Seaward 25
The new Seaward 25 E14 is built on a successful formula that has stood the test of time … While tearing around at speed is great fun, there is something special about the more sedate progress of the Seaward … Read More...
Suzuki DF200A
In practice, Suzuki tend to play the good-value-for-money card by coming in with lower prices than their main rival. … it is exceptionally quiet, with hardly any discernible vibration at tickover and low speeds. Suzuki DF200A Robert Greenwood reports on Read More...
Strider 19 – Supertender to Megayachts
Like all the best rigid inflatable boats, the Strider 19 has large tubes that are important for stability and safety. The helm station is very safe and comfortable. This new craft uses the highest technology in its build and is Read More...
Sunseeker Portofino 32
The Portofino 32 proves you do not need to spend a fortune to own a fast and capable offshore powerboat. … this is a boat that can still be enjoyed as much as the boat in the neighbouring berth that Read More...
Finnmaster T8
… there’s a balance to the shape and a meaty, feline physicality to the style that is profoundly striking. … the absence of external walkways means you get a cockpit that is wide as well as long – and its Read More...
The Second Coming: Draco 27 RS
The 27 RS is no self-indulgent retro folly. It doesn’t attempt to lure the buyer by pandering to the inherited blueprint of Draco’s fondly regarded past. This is a very serious, well-built and sensibly equipped conveyance for seasoned grown-ups who Read More...
Brig Navigator 610
Alex Smith visits South Devon for a closer look at the middle of the three Navigator RIBs from Brig There are very few boat dealers with a more tempting playground on their doorstep than the Wolf Rock Boat Company. Perched Read More...
Fairline Targa 40
The Targa 40 is an impressive offshore boat that still cuts the mustard today. Unlike many of its newer contemporaries it does not sacrifice seakeeping, handling and performance for the sake of extra accommodation. Internally, the Targa 40 offers a Read More...
Stingher 800GT Sport Custom
This latest 800GT is a fine leisure platform, with a quality features list plus the added boon of truly pristine dynamic balance. … the sheer poise of this fast and frugal twin-engined 800GT feels much too close to perfect for Read More...
Cobra 9.5 Twin-Rig F300
The handling of the long hull is sedate and relaxed – even at high speed the boat remains composed and precise. There was no evidence of the chine walking associated with the very early Cobras … The combination of the Read More...
Paragon Ranger 25
Get underway and despite a limited top end of around 33 knots, her sea manners are truly excellent. Those radically acute hull angles mean plenty of heel and lots of grip in the turn, allied to a ride as soft Read More...
Bayliner Element XL
… it is good to see Bayliner bucking the trend with a boat that works so hard to get things right for those with limited funds and basic experience. … this remains a very easy boat to drive, with precisely Read More...
An Air of Luxury
They are able to get as close as possible to the coastline, and weave easily in and out of small bays and creeks. The double glazing becomes darker or brighter according to the amount of sunlight thanks to an electronic process Read More...
