Grand Golden Line 850
Grand’s new flagship is the point at which the company’s most lavish internal facilities meet its most potent driving experience There’s a clarity to its internal design, a user-friendliness to its communal layout and a sophistication to its styling that
Glastron GS 259
It might be Glastron’s one and only cruiser but the GS 259 is an absolute beauty It’s no problem at all keeping the hull flat and fast, skipping across the crests and correcting any heel with a tweak on the
Quatix 5
Quatix 5 Garmin’s latest box of tricks, the Quatix 5, is the latest generation of GPS smartwatch. Specifically designed for life on the water, it is more than just a watch. It provides Bluetooth connectivity with compatible Garmin chartplotters as
Ranieri Voyager 21 S
With an excellent helming experience, plenty of storage, lashings of style and a high-quality fit-out, it’s a very satisfying plaything indeed. The 21 S possesses enough classical Italian flavour to excite in a way few boats in its sector can
Yamaha GP1800
Its grunt and grip verge on intimidating and yet its rider interface is very reassuring and intuitive. It is massively rapid, almost magically taut in the turn and rigorously responsive to the input of the man at the helm. When
Raymarine Axiom
Being an easily installed plug-and-play set-up, and with such affordable hardware costs, these bits of kit will prove popular. The M100 and M200… are now offering a level of performance that five years ago would have cost three times the
Jeanneau Leader 30
It manages to pack a lot of recreational usability into its open deck, without critically compromising the performance. It handles well, and although its top speed is modest, the manner in which it gets there is commendable. For a fully
Four Winns HD 240
The HD 240 is a broadly talented boat that does not fit in the mould of the average bowrider. It has been carefully thought out with no space being wasted. In keeping with its function, it has the ability to
Quicksilver Activ 755 Open
The space, convertibility, family-friendly layout and level of performance are of a standard that will appeal to many middle-of-the-road boating families. It looks good, goes well and can accommodate six without overcrowding. I didn’t find any failings in the handling
Chaparral H2O
The Chaparral H2O is great fun to drive, quick off the mark, forgiving if you overcook it and reassuringly well made. Given what the alternatives are in its 30k price region, this boat is not a hard choice to make.
AMT 190 BR
The 190 BR is a spacious, well-equipped and user-friendly bowrider with some pleasantly distinctive detailing. It’s good to look at, easy to own, impressively affordable and far more versatile than most American-style bowriders. This is a resoundingly easy boat to
Cobra Shoot-Out
This is Cobra’s most popular RIB and with good reason. It is easy to tow and launch and yet is big enough to rough it offshore. It is a high-quality British-built boat that has been meticulously designed as a fast
Bayliner Twin Test – CC5 CC6
Both the CC5 and the CC6 are boats I can recommend without qualification. I’ve seen them perform admirably in some big, nasty seas that would see the skippers of most 30-footers running for cover. They are genuinely impressive (and remarkably
Sessa Islamorada 23
Sessas are well built and not known for structural problems A full mechanical survey is a must in any boat, but with an older petrol boat, ascertaining exactly how it performs during a pre-purchase sea trial is equally important Sessa
Chris-Craft Calypso 30
The boat’s standard specification is impressive and includes goodies that might not appear at all on more modestly priced boats The Calypso 30 is a boat with few faults and an awful lot to offer Customisation looms large with the
Avon 340 Seasport Deluxe
A great tender from a returning brand. The hull on the Avon is pretty impressive; even an inexperienced driver is safe, which is important if you’ll be letting your children loose at the helm. The Avon Seasport is the type
Seadoo Spark
The stability of the Spark makes it virtually impossible to turn over. The whole ethos behind the Spark is to get people on the water at an affordable level. Reigniting the Spark Since its launch last year, the Seadoo Spark
Greenline 36
The Greenline 36 does not try to be all things to all men. It is a long-legged cruiser that aims to provide frugal family cruising. First impressions count with the Hybrid 36. Greenline 36 Innovation seems to be the keyword
Finnmaster Pilot 7 Weekend
She might not have been designed as a sports boat, but somebody thought about this craft’s alter ego when designing the helm layout. As the day got rougher it was apparent that the Pilot 7 was built to take a
Voyage to the End of the World
The team worked together superbly and held their nerve as gradually, with each pounding, stomach-lurching wave, we fulfilled our dream and rounded the Horn. Our brave RIBs took a battering as the towering waves swallowed us up and spat us
Bavaria E40
The entire layout is very sensible – a great deal of thought has been given to how the boat will be used and those aspects given emphasis. The helm has a glorious view surrounding the boat, being slightly elevated from
XO 360
Where it excels is in providing those key creature comforts needed to drive and navigate fast in all weathers. The saloon/main cabin rightly is the place to be. Running into the strengthening F4 you could feel and see the sharp
Draco 22RS
It is meant as a runabout picnic boat, but the handling and seakeeping are a cut above the norm, as one would expect from this pedigree. This is a serious boat that drivers will enjoy and newcomers will find easy
Raymarine – Quantum CHIRP Radar & Dragonfly 7 PRO
The dragonfly is bonded for all-weather performance and guaranteed never to fog up. It is claimed that the Dragonfly display offers superb clarity at 600 feet, even at speed, thanks to DownVision CHIRP technology. Quantum’s solid-state design and efficient electronics
Princess V42
The reality is that regardless of time, this boat is still a superbly built, beautifully finished and highly capable offshore sports cruiser. It seems that after 15 years or so, the Princess V42 has become a bit of a forgotten
