TOP SPORT
Reviews and test drives

TOP SPORT

Comparison of 10 European models + one American model

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Leopard 27 A boat that has become a legend

Length. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 м Speed... " ... " ... " ... 35+ knots Engines... " ... " ... 2 MTU x 2,434 hp. Year of manufacture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1997

Twelve years ago, Paolo Cagliari revolutionized the yachting world by creating a model with a huge external salon under a rigid sliding awning. Since then, variations have appeared, the boat is decorated with a glass partition on the main deck, Leopard 27 is a legendary hull but in general the legendary hull is still the same, elegant but spacious - below in addition to the owner's cabin are placed VIP, guest and interior salon. 6 passengers can comfortably sleep on board, in the daytime it is not crowded and consists of 12 people.

As this boat is designed for pleasure, it is usually equipped with a whole arsenal of water skis and other toys, there is room for all this. With Leopard 27, the fashion began for rows of transverse windows on both sides of the master suite. This lively legend, fascinated by two MTU engines at a respectable speed of 35 knots, is still relevant and the very stability of its appearance is evidence of high self-esteem and equally high demand.

Tecnomar 90 Complete freedom of choice

Length. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 м Speed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . " 40 knots Engines... " ... " ... 2 MTU x 2,033 hp. Year of manufacture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2005

Any of the three transmissions (Arneson, KaMeWa, gross), the free layout of decks - Tecnomar gives customers the opportunity to customize the boat for themselves. One invariable factor is the hull, which surpasses the competitors in terms of imposing and reliability, while the superstructure is low and does not violate the general outline. Inside there are four cabins - VIP in the bow and master in the centre. There is more limited space for deckhouse and exterior saloon. The extra sturdy hull easily withstands shocks from waves even at 40 knots. The Tecnomar 90, in a good sense, is a conservative vessel - simple, functional, seaworthy, without any unnecessary passion for special effects. Such conservatives are the ones who withstand the flow of fashion with the same confidence as they withstand the shock of waves and retain their appeal to current and future owners in times of deep crisis.

Couach 2800 Quality above all

Length. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28,66 м Speed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . " 40 knots Engines... " ... "... 2 MTU x 2,000 hp. Arneson Year of manufacture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2005

In 2005, the French shipyard entered into competition with recognized manufacturers of sports yachts, Pershing and Overmarine. Designer Cano Lanzo has created a "personality", a strong hull (previously Soccer had built fast boats for customs and coast guard), not afraid of the promenade sea. No rocking at the speed of the Couach 2800. Quality above all 40 knots and "smart" soundproofing ensure comfort. The "honeycomb" structure made of composite materials weighs 58 tons. The spacious upper deck accommodates the dining room, salon, bar, deckhouse and captain's corner. Here, as in the master suite and VIP on the living deck, luxury and quality of finishes prevail - above all praise.

Pershing 90 Flybridge for total happiness

28,66 м Speed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . " 40 knots Engines... " ... "... 2 MTU x 2,000 hp. Arneson Year of manufacture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2005

Who, if not Pershing, would implement the new concept of open flybridge? The Italian shipyard's range of nine models ranging from 46 to 115 feet, which was launched in 2006, replaced the legendary Pershing 88'. The key to its success is a profiled hull, every detail faithful to the family style. The designer is the great Fulvio de Simoniya, who knows how to revolutionize, while maintaining recognition. This time he crowned the boat with a flybridge - without a post of control, only for the sweet Pershing 90 Flybridge for complete happiness of idleness. There's a tanning bed for six and a sofa facing the boat as it moves. The forward deck is at the passenger's disposal, with a solarium and wind-proof saloon. The interior of the main deck saloon and dining room is radically modern and the four cabins - master, VIP and two guest - look softer, with honey-colored wood. Functionality argues with the beauty aboard this delightful boat, and as a result both win. The speed of the two MTUs of 2,435 hp with Arneson drive is 44 knots, without noise and rocking.

Canados 90 Transparent rocket flies.

Length. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27,43 м Speed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . " 47 knots... Engines... " ... "... 2 MTU x 2,400 hp. Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arneson Year of manufacture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2006

First shown at the 2006 Cannes Salon, the speedboat dared to compete with masters such as Overmarine and its famous Mangusta. It took something unprecedented to get out of such a competition, and the designer Luis De Basto spared no effort or expense. The main instrument of the struggle, paradoxically, was... glass. Never before has a hardtop seen such an abundance of glass surfaces - large windows, portholes, almost solid side panels through which both decks unobstructedly flood light. It is beautiful not only inside but also outside: when a transparent rocket passes by at a speed of 50 knots, the spectators on the shore and in the open sea are breathtaking. Such a high speed is obtained not due to careless muscle»building«, but in a persistent battle for each kilogram. Using the most modern types of epoxy rubber and plastic, using a structure in the form of bee honeycomb, the Canados shipyard managed to build a boat 27 meters long and weighing only 60 tons. In pursuit of weight and speed, comfort is not overlooked. The VIP is located on the bow of the living deck, followed by two guests separated by a corridor and a master craftsman across the entire width of the hull. The minimalist style of the interior is quite in keeping with the spirit of sporting elegance.

Italcraft Maxi Drago Use for peaceful purposes

Length. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 м " 43 knots Engines... " ... "... 2 MTU x 2,400 hp. Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arneson Year of manufacture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2005

Before yachting, the Italcraft shipyard was building high-speed military vessels. The more reliable and stronger the hull designed by Alberto Ashenzi. Below the waterline had to be spellbound to install the Arneson drive and as a result with a solid displacement of 85 tons Maxi Drago, one of the heaviest boats on our list, gives an excellent speed of 42 knots. Technically everything has been thought out in detail; for example, during navigation, the bathing platform is "retracted" to avoid interfering with the screws. Equally uncompromising is the comfort aboard this yacht. The basic equipment includes three cabins and two saloons, but there is also a charter layout. The guests will have a lot to console themselves with jetski hidden on both sides of the solarium.

Sunseeker Predator 92 Predatory male charm

Length. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 м Speed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . " 35 knots Engines... " ... "... 2 MTU x 2,434 hp. Year of manufacture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2008

The Predator 92 fits perfectly in the new sports flybridge category. In no way compromising the sporting character of the vessel, the Sunseeker shipyard has equipped it with an overhead control station. Her expressive, aggressive look is fully preserved and few can resist the male charm of the Predator, the black and lacquered hull and the grey superstructure. The forward deck has both a sun deck and a table that is protected from the sun by a sliding awning. The hydraulically-operated bathing platform makes it easy to launch the tender and jetski. The cockpit has a small kitchen, not to mention two tables for eight pets, and then a huge solarium. The wide side aisles are comfortable and securely protected by a high bulwark. The interior decoration is inspired by the Italian school with its amazing attention to materials. Below there are four cabins, the owner's suite occupies the entire central area of the hull. In addition to the standard equipment there is a version with three Caterpillar engines of 1,850 hp with Arneson drives - the speed increases by 7 knots and reaches 42.

AB Yachts 92 Speed above all

Length. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28,2 м Speed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . " 56 knots... Engines... 3 x Caterpillar at 1,825 hp. Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jet Hamilton. Year of manufacture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2008

For the sake of speed, Fipa Group equips the AB Yachts range (six models from 58 to 140 pieds) with three engines and jets. The AB 92 accelerates to 56 knots, but even at maximum speed the noise is not unbearable - sound insulation has been properly taken care of. The beautifully equipped wheelhouse moves smoothly into the AB Yachts 92's dining room with speed above the corner and the kitchen retracted downstairs. In addition to the foreman across the entire width of the hull, the living deck has a VIP, two guest and two crew cabins, all in a glorious minimalist style. There is a version AB 92 with control post on the flybridge, there is also a version with two engines of 2,000 hp and a speed of "only" 50 knots.

Mangusta 92 Open Collection of Glory Names

Length. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28,26 м Speed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . " 36 knots Engines... " ... "... 2 MTU x 2,000 hp. Jet KaMeWA Year of manufacture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2003

No overview of open boats is possible without Mangusta, as the Overmarine shipyard is a pioneer in open sports boats. In 2003 this Italian shipyard, working in collaboration with the Rodriguez group, presented the Mangusta 92 Open to the world. The names of the creators of this project speak for themselves: the hull belongs to Andrea Bacigalupo, the design to Stefano Rigini. Together these two great people managed to somehow balance aggression and male restraint. The corps cuts the waves decisively, but he failed to overcome the psychological speed limit of 40 knots. Two MTU 2,000 hp engines and KaMeWa jets provide only 36 knots; the Mangusta 92 Open A collection of glorious names for the 75-tonne vessel requires more powerful equipment to compete in racing. However, more attention has been paid to comfort, with 6 metres of width to leave wide side aisles, turn the salon and dining room, please guests with the bar and connoisseurs with the perfectly equipped wheelhouse. Upstairs there are two spacious solariums, if necessary, the awning will turn around and cover a large half of the upper deck from the scorching sun. The boat is also suitable for chartering as all four cabins - master, VIP and both guests - have their own bathrooms. The luxury of materials and the quality of finishes in the living areas will not fool you either.

Lazzara LSX 92 Pod Transmission

Length. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27,9 м " 31 knots Engines... " ... "... 4 x 675 Volvo Penta Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . POD IPS Year of manufacture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2008

The Lazzar brothers, who head the American family shipyard, were the first to decide to equip a boat over 20 meters long with an IPS Volvo Penta system. The drive of the pod gives a gain of space inside the hull, increased maneuverability, tameness. The speed of 31 knots is achieved with four IPS900 engines with a power of only 675 hp. The engines in this configuration are moved to the stern and as a result, the living deck accommodates a spacious master and VIP, two guests, and a kitchen with dining area. The main deck has a huge saloon and two sofas can accommodate 12 passengers. The bathing platform has been converted into a beach club, legs can be hung in the water and movies can be watched: the transom rises and is a TV screen. Although the flybridge is small, there is a control station with a side sofa and a solarium for three. Two more tanning beds - on the bow and in the cockpit; in the cockpit there is also a table for 6-8 people. Not surprisingly, guests from across the ocean are so popular in the European market.

Baia 100 The embodiment of a bold dream

Length. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 м Speed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . " 38 knots... Engines... " ... "... 2 MTU x 2,430 hp. Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arneson Year of manufacture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2009

We conclude our review with a novelty that is rich in both technical and aesthetic discoveries. Carlo Galeazzi and Alberto Ashenzi have created a completely new boat, and what's more, a new style with a perfect layout of the decks - there is both a full outdoor salon and a solarium in front; a sliding tent plays with light and shadow. The interior saloon, the deckhouse and the dining room have five exits with an unusual door system - no one and no one is disturbed. A small flybridge gave Baia 100 an additional solarium. A unique windscreen protects (and illuminates) both the deckhouse and dining room, providing an unrivalled panoramic view. The Naples shipyard does not just build boats, it builds dreams, it realizes the most audacious and unimaginable fantasies.

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