Most sea trials of big, glamorous craft like this Sunseeker 100 Yacht take place in the Mediterranean for good reason. When the sun is out, the sea is flat and you're surrounded by beautiful scenery, it's hard not to fall for the charms of anything this large and luxurious. But the true test of a boat's mettle comes when the wind is whipping across the foredeck, the sea is a roiling mess and the sun is setting over a grey and foreboding Solent. These were the very conditions facing us as we set off from Southampton bound for Poole the evening after the Southampton Boat Show. A starker contrast to the boat's unveiling at the Cannes Yachting Festival almost exactly a year earlier would be hard to imagine but as the crew scurried around packing, wrapping and taping anything that wasn't already nailed down, we were excited to see how such a glamorous craft would cope when faced with such inhospitable conditions.
Before we get to that, though, it's worth explaining why the 100 Yacht makes such a tempting proposition for warmer climes. In contrast to rivals such as the Princess X95, WallyWhy 200 and Ferretti Infynito, which prioritise interior volume over exterior deck space, the Sunseeker 100 has a more even split between the two. It still packs a voluminous interior with that all-important main deck owner's suite, four further guest cabins and a raised pilothouse bridge, but it's the outside spaces that still shine brightest. That starts at the stern where the vast garage is designed to swallow a formidable arsenal of toys, including a Williams Sportjet 460, Sea-Doo GTX 255 jetski and a couple of Seabobs, but once vacated can also be converted into a sheltered beach club. Or you can close the garage door and deploy Sunseeker's clever X-TEND seating system as a pair of sea-level sunloungers or raise it up so that it becomes an extension to the aft cockpit.
CASCADING LEVELS
This story is from the February 2024 edition of Motor Boat & Yachting UK.
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 February 2024 edition of Motor Boat & Yachting UK.
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
HOW TO NAVIGATE OVERFALLS
Overfalls are areas of broken or rougher water caused by tidal currents flowing past or over geographic features.
SLEIPNER'S NEW FINS
If you're looking for extra comfort at sea Sleipner's electric-powered radically curved Vector Fins could be a game-changer
SIRENA 48
The Sirena 68 won last year's award for flybridges over 60ft. Can its new entry-level 48 repeat that success?
24-YEAR ITCH
It took 14 years to find one, and another 10 to rebuild, but when boatbuilder Will Squibb first fell in love with a Levi Corsair, he knew he had to have one
WALLYWHY 150
A new launch from Wally is always going to cause a splash, but will the latest addition to the Wally why range create the same ripples as its larger predecessor?
THE TRUE COST OF RUNNING A SUPERYACHT
Everyone loves the idea of owning a superyacht but what does it actually cost to run one? The owners of a Sunseeker 105 charter yacht reveal all...
SUNSEEKER 100 YACHT BOAT TEST
A breezy delivery trip from Southampton to Poole provided the perfect conditions for sea trialling Sunseeker's latest big boat sensation
AZIMUT 48
Is it a party platform? A sportsboat? A weekender? Whatever it is, this American-style Azimut has plenty to recommend it...
BIG TRIP SMALL BOAT [PART 2]
Having made it from Runswick Bay, Yorkshire, to Harwich, Essex, in just one day, Ian Furby continues his attempt to circumnavigate Britain in his 18ft Nordkapp speedboat
AQUADOR 300 НТ
Alex Smith tests one of the most exciting new compact cruisers money can buy