Yacht Class n°32 (mars-avril-mai 2023)

Sunseeker Yachts

For the past two years, the British shipyard has been renewing its range and conquering the European and international markets. Its new products can be counted on the fingers of both hands. Among them, the 100 Yacht that we believe should set a milestone, as her strengths match what many yachtsmen expect from a model designed for all types of cruising. She was born with a conqueror’s spirit.

Written : Alain Brousse – Photos : D.R

At the end of 2020, Andrea Frabetti unveiled Sunseeker’s strategy: placing an even stronger foot in the hard-top open market and flybridges from 38 to 165 feet. In practice, the British shipyard launched five new models in 2021: Predator 55, Manhattan 55, 65 SY, 88 Yacht & 90 Ocean. One year later, it did it again with three more units soon to be released: the Superhawk 55, the Predator 65 and the 100 Yacht we discovered at the Cannes Yachting Festival 2022. She is the flagship of the Yacht family, which also includes a 76′, an 88′ & a 95′. True to its methods, Sunseeker entrusted the hull, exterior and interior designs to its design department, composed of a dozen specialists. High on water, the 100 Yacht has a massive and sporty silhouette with a prominent pointy bow. The glazed areas on each freeboard and on the superstructures at the main deck level immediately disclose the light capturing power of some volumes, always with this objective of blurring the boundaries between inside and outside. Actually, the sea view is one of the top criteria of yacht buyers, especially for units of this size, be they intended for day, long or even offshore cruises.

Relaxation from stern to bow

The 100 Yacht was undoubtedly Sunseeker’s “flagship” model at the last Cannes Yachting Festival. Which was confirmed by the number of visits. We were welcomed by the CEO of Sunseeker, Andrea Frabetti, who asked Brian Jones, his commercial director, to guide us. The quay enjoyed a breathtaking view of the stern, whose 13 m2 hydraulic bathing platform can be decorated with two sun loungers. Another solution is to lower the transom, which then becomes a welcome solarium settee. Better still, it can be raised to enlarge the cockpit. The transom can also be raised to unveil the garage for a tender and a jetski. From each side, a staircase climbs up to the cockpit, whose standard configuration seems convivial as an outdoor lounge but of a rather limited surface. The foredeck offers an outdoor space dedicated to farniente (30 m2). Accessible by the port side deck of the main deck or from the flybridge thanks to side walkways, its deckhouse boasts a built-in dinette (two settees and a table) for snacks or meals. There is, of course, a permanent solarium ready to accommodate four sunbathing enthusiasts. Finally, the front part of this deck, usually reserved for the technical aspects, accommodates a table and three settees, a small additional lounge dedicated to the owner. The last exterior asset of the Sunseeker 100 Yacht: a 60 m2 flybridge with a central opening hard-top. It boasts a glazed pulpit, so the view is even better. Aft, a Jacuzzi and its two sunbathing areas will be popular, as will the dining area composed of a table for twelve guests to port and a bar with a grill, sink and refrigerator to starboard. Two L-shaped sofas frame a smoked plexiglass door opening onto the wheelhouse forward of the main deck.

Three engine configurations

The Sunseeker has a single helm station in an independent wheelhouse, located on a half level, between the flybridge and the main deck. It boasts a good 250-degree view and allows for safe maneuvering, all the more so that the captain can use one of the two “wing controls” (miniaturized control stations) fitted outside on each side at the wheelhouse level. The massive interior dashboard is extended by three screens, while the various controls are grouped on each side of the steering wheel. Powered by two 2000 hp MTU 12V2000 M96X diesel engines, the 100 Yacht can reach a maximum speed of 28 knots, which makes her even more attractive. As for long distance cruising, she can boasts a range of 1300 miles at 12 knots. To better satisfy the potential buyers, the shipyard offers two other engine configurations: 2 x 1950 hp and 2 x 2640 hp. With the latter, the 100 Yacht will break the 30-knot barrier.

A well-designed 40 m2 master

The interior volume of this main deck, which accommodates a lounge with a sofa and two footstools to welcome up to ten people in an indisputable comfort, receives a great deal of natural light thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows offering an unobstructed sea view. The dining area is an integral part of this space, as there is no furniture, nor partition in this place of 45 m2. The separation at the back isolates the main galley, only a few metres away from the dining table. Its equipment will satisfy the chef on board. As on many other vessels of this type, the forward part of the main deck accommodates the owner’s cabin. The latter, in collaboration with Sunseeker in-house design office, wanted a surface area meeting his expectations – 40 m2 – but also side windows large enough to unveil the nautical setting. To cap it all, a glass door opens onto the forepeak, above the bow, an ideal place to create a lounge with a coffee table and two seats. Let’s go back inside, and more precisely to the starboard gangway leading to this master, where is located an office and a hairdressing corner, plus an opposite dressing room. One level down, the lower deck, accessible via a staircase hidden by the galley bulkhead, accommodates four cabins. In the two largest ones, the VIPs, the head of the double bed is leaning against the planking, hence no sea view when lying down. A reverse configuration should be possible. The two guest twins naturally enjoy their own bathroom with an independent shower, just like each VIP. The crew, located forward of this lower deck, has a private access and enjoys three cabins (two double bunks and one single for the captain) each with a head The Sunseeker 100 Yacht is impressive in every way. She is destined for great success. With her habitability, the ergonomics of the layouts and her performance, she deserves nothing but praise.