BOAT TESTS

Alex Whittaker test-drives two sassy new bowriders that come with a unique addition – a mini cuddy! Outboard version with a 250hp Mercury Four Stroke Sea Ray have brought out two ‘Euro’ versions of their new SDX 250 Read More...

PBR’s Alex Whittaker flies south to the Bay of Cannes to test the latest open-cockpit, two-berth sports offering from Axopar. Unless you have been living off-grid in Borneo these past few years, you will certainly be aware of the Axopar phenomenon Read More...

Stunning and decadent, this 43ft maxi RIB is a driver’s delight.  Big RIB design is often driven by the need to provide a level of features that outpaces the competition. In this department, the ZAR 130 is clearly a front Read More...

Offering five hours of electric displacement cruising, the 58 Fly hits the water in autumn. When it comes to leaving a low carbon footprint, hybrid power is one of the most realistic options open to boating at the moment. Slovenia-based Read More...

Reborn after 52 years, this legendary powerboat still sets a pace few craft can match. Greg Copp reports on a revamped timeless classic … We all love a classic in some form or another. Be it the original or a Read More...

Greg Copp test-drives a fast, frugal and sure-footed craft genuinely built to cover the sea miles. With the big outboard making a strong presence in the marine industry, it is unusual to find a new RIB manufacturer with purely sterndrives on Read More...

Redesigned from the keel up, no stone goes unturned with Sargo’s new 28, as Greg Copp reports … The wheelhouse is generous in size. With Nordstar’s recent launch of their new 28+ (last issue of PBR), it seems our Read More...

Never a ‘shrinking violet’ when given the chance to get behind a wheel, be it on land or at sea, we sent PBR’s TMS on a quest to choose an ultimate 4x4 performance combo. As you will see, this matchmaking Read More...

Joe Mourant provides PBR with an exclusive ‘access all areas’ tour of the much-publicised Jersey Lifeboat Association’s new Gemini 880 lifeboat, Albert Pinel, before getting taken on a nail-biting exercise in harrowing conditions off the perilous Jersey coast.  Noirmont Point Read More...

Nord Star 28+ review Greg Copp explores this new tune on an old fiddle, but a rhythm only the tone-deaf can ignore.  Hull modifications Reworking an old design is commonplace in the marine industry, and often for good reason. This Read More...

With a 27-year production run, the latest version of this long-legged sea warrior still cuts the mustard, as Greg Copp discovered.   There are many ‘ageless classics’ – some are simply reworked retro designs, and some are the real deal. Read More...

Previously marketed as the Explorer Jet Tender, the all-new Lamont T430 Jet Tender is a whole different boat. Barry Thompson sets out to sea-trial this first of the new breed and determine the T430’s relevance to the wider market. While Read More...

With a generous power-to-weight ratio and impressive hull, this boat drives well and is as good as it looks, as Greg Copp reports … Something that always impresses about Grand RIBs is their completeness. Wills Marine, importers for the Ukrainian-built Read More...

The latest 10.2m Cheetah is the first catamaran in Europe to feature two of Yamaha’s new XTO 425hp outboards. Friendship recently travelled from Cheetah’s Isle of Wight base to Nieuwpoort in Belgium to take up her role as a sport Read More...

Stylish and sturdy, this retro runabout is also a credible lightweight passage maker.  The new 9.5 WA (walk-around) is their latest launch. Based on the same hull as the 9.5 Sport and 9.5 Cabin, it features a schooner-style rounded stern, Read More...

With plenty of sunbathing space, this drop-dead 50-knot Italian is a driver’s delight. Being launched late in 2019, the Cranchi E26 Rider is hardly hot off the docks. However, this craft and its more conventional counterpart, the E26 Classic, had Read More...

Greg Copp considers whether, with the rise of the giant outboard, twin-rigged boats are to become a thing of the past… The argument of two engines versus one has been going on since the advent of pleasure boating. Each concept Read More...

Alex Whittaker tests a versatile, family-friendly ‘Scandi’ boat with the promise of 40 knots … We have all got the message. New boat sales are booming, the supply of second-hand boats is outstripping demand and ‘staycationing’ looks to be the Read More...

An open practical sports boat that oozes Italian style and build quality. It is a highly versatile pleasure boat that has several innovative design features, utilising virtually every square inch of space. The phrase ‘Boston Whaler lookalike’ sums up so many Read More...

Meticulously designed, the eye-catching futuristic Gladiator is as fast as it is frugal.  Built by Canados, a long-established Italian yard, the Gladiator 631 looks to set new standards in efficiency and performance. With hull number one having just hit the Read More...

An adrenaline junkie’s delight, this masterpiece of madness is also a luxury RIB without compromise. The ‘sensible’ choice is twin 600hp Mercury Verado outboards – engines so new that few people have actually seen them yet. The performance and stunning looks Read More...

Built to perform, this 50-knot boat also has long-legged qualities. The Focus Power 36 is a stylish high-performance motor yacht built to cater for the needs of the modern powerboater. This is Focus Power’s take on their new model, and Read More...

Built for covert operations, this Black Sea boat is a great offshore tool for UK waters, as Greg Copp explains … This is the RIB that isn’t. By that I mean that although it has sponsons, they are TPU polyurethane-coated solid Read More...

Greg Copp reports on a radical Spanish 28-footer that offers a social dimension that far exceeds its size. Ten years ago when you went to trial a new middleweight powerboat, there would be only so many variations on what you might Read More...