Marex 360 CC

The Norwegian yard has made its name building practical and cleverly thought out boats but the 360 CC is one of its best yet

- Jack Haines

Cruising along at just shy of the 10-knot speed limit inside Poole Harbour, the 360’s helm is a pleasant place to be. We negotiated Salterns’ tight and twisting marina basin with ease thanks to the powerful bow thruster and twin sterndrive diesel motors and set a course for the mouth of the harbour where we can pick up some speed.

The helm station is about as good as it gets – comfortable, adjustable and clear and sensible in a way that the Scandinavians understand so well. There are no unnecessary fripperies, just two 12in MFDs (one is standard), a neat run of switches and, helpfully, a pair of analogue rev counters for quick glances. The bucket seat is clad in grippy Alcantara to keep you in place and it has a bolster so you can stand just as comfortably as you can sit. The wheel is adjustable and the throttles are mounted on a chunky plinth, which thrusts out towards your right arm to put them as close to you as possible. The whole dash is coated in low-glare grey material to minimise the dazzling effect of bright sunshine overheard.

Two manual sunroofs overhead mean that plenty of sunlight is allowed to fill the main deck and combined with an open aft end and big glass area, create a feeling of openness that few hardtop sportscruisers can match. Thanks to all of the glass and slim mullions, the view from the helm is excellent, with clear sightlines all around the boat. It’s a good place to be and only improves when the throttles are edged forward and the full force of the twin 300hp Volvo Penta diesel surges through the props.