Pilothouse boats never used to be the sportiest of craft. Practical, yes. Seaworthy, yes. Good value, usually. But sporty? Not so much. However, change is afoot. In much the same way that boring MPV cars morphed into sportier SUVs, so wheelhouse craft are evolving into something altogether more dynamic. Axopar went a long way to changing perceptions with its 28 Cabin and 37 Cross Cabin but now Hydrolift has taken it one step further with the most extreme sports utility vessel yet. Not only is its latest craft called the X-27 SUV but with a claimed top speed of more than 70 knots (yes, you read that right the first time) the emphasis is firmly on the sports part of the acronym.
NEED FOR SPEED
Wisely, Hydrolift UK decided to order its test boat with a single 300hp Mercury Verado outboard rather than the twin 250hp or single 450R options but the spec still makes for tantalising reading. The slender twin-step hull has a knife-like deadrise angle of 24° while its sandwich construction keeps the weight down to 2,300kg. The hull is the work of Norwegian powerboat racer and Hydrolift founder Bard Eker and is shared with the S-26 open sportsboat we tested last year. Impressive as that boat was, the X-27 SUV is more intriguing, partly because it can be used all year round and partly because it doesn’t look like it should be capable of those speeds. Whereas the Brabus Shadow 500 Cabin screams performance from every pore, the X-27 SUV looks more like a run of the mill sports fisher in the mould of a Jeanneau Merry Fisher or Finnmaster C8.
This story is from the January 2021 edition of Motor Boat & Yachting.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January 2021 edition of Motor Boat & Yachting.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
SUNSEEKER OCEAN 182
Sunseeker's tri-deck sibling to the Ocean 90 offers exceptional living space, particularly in the new enclosed upper deck. But how does a boat with such a broad footprint perform at sea? Hugo Andreae finds out
TIME FOR A KEYS CHANGE
Elliott Maurice pulls out all the stops with a Florida cruise his son will never forget
SNOW PRINCESS
Charter company Lumi Yachts is named after the Finnish word for snow, but a few days on board its brand new Princess Y80 is enough to melt anyone's heart
BOAT CUISINE
Phil Sampson visits an historic establishment on the banks of the Beaulieu River
AZIMUT 50 FLYBRIDGE
Azimut's 50 Flybridge is one of those boats that really ought to come with a health warning.
TO THE ROOT OF THE MATTER
Phil Sampson discovers that things are not always as they appear...
HOW TO NAVIGATE IN FOG
Being out in any form of restricted visibility, due to heavy rain, snow, mist or fog, is a major concern to all boat users because three things immediately come into play.
PARKER SORRENTO 100
Behind the wheel of one of this year's most outstanding new boats
BEYOND THE HORIZON
Jasper Smith, founder of Arksen and champion for a new brand of off-grid oceanic adventure, talks to Alex Smith
RIVA 82 DIVA
Riva's aptly named 82 Diva is sharply dressed and highly sought after but does it also deliver a suitably memorable performance?