SAY 52

There was no doubt about the best looking boat at the Palma show, that prize went to the new SAY 52 from SAY Carbon yachts.

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LOA: 52ft 4in (15.95m) BEAM: 14ft 5in (4.40m) TOP SPEED: 45 knots ENGINES: Twin 440hp Volvo Penta D6 DPH or 430hp V8 petrol PRICE FROM: €2.05 million CONTACT: www.saycarbonyachts.com

Oozing style from every fibre of its high tech carbon hull, it actually lived up to its billing as “a masterpiece of modern luxury and pure performance". The vast geometric glass panels set into the foredeck and hard top are particularly striking, especially at night when the LED strips illuminate their latticed frames.

There were one or two details that still needed tidying up but the overall impression was of a fast, focussed, futuristic craft that offered a refreshing alternative to the current trend for ever bigger, heavier craft. Astonishingly, this 52ft Category A rated sportscruiser weighs a barely believable 7.5 tonnes - that's less than half a Princess V50 (17.8 tonnes) and well under a third of a Sunseeker Superhawk 55. That's why it only needs a pair of modest 440hp Volvo D6 engines on standard DPH sterndrives to deliver a claimed top speed of 42 knots and fuel consumption of just 45lph at 20 knots. We'll have to wait for a sea trial to see if it delivers on those promises but the early signs look promising.

Almost everything we saw and touched on board, bar the 6mm layer of teak decking and high-end upholstery, was made of pure carbon fibre, including the hull, deck, hard top and all the minor mouldings. Even insignificant parts like the covers for the twin deck showers are made of the stuff, many of them lacquered and polished to glistening perfection.