With carbon hydrofoils and a 40-knot top end, the new Aquila 42 Coupé trades "flappy canvas" for serious pace and 20% better efficiency
This latest Aquila Coupé is a direct response to existing customers who want fully enclosed shelter without having to mess about with flappy canvasses. But it’s actually much more than just that. For a start, there’s the fixed carbon-fibre hydrofoil system. According to Aquila, if you take this boat to about 22 knots before angling the foil by trimming out the engine legs by 20%, the hull frees up, the revs rise and you get 30-35 knots alongside a 20% reduction in the fuel flow, nearly halving your consumption per mile.
In addition to a 40-knot top end, you also get a 500nm cruising range with a pair of 440hp Volvo D6 sterndrives. Alternatively, you could ‘invest’ in a pair of 400hp V10 outboards but you should be aware that, according to Aquila’s own figures, that will halve your cruising range at a stroke.
A more palatable Aquila claim is that this boat offers the volume of a 50ft monohull and, in the absence of proper side decks, it really does feel that way.
The saloon is a massive space, with a lovely seating zone opposite the two-man helm and a huge C-shaped dinette opposite the long L-shaped starboard galley.
There’s still room for a staircase to an ensuite bedroom in each hull and a bow door to access the squared-off forward lounge, plus a three-section sliding aft patio door that enables you to open it up either to the right or left. This makes even more sense when you see the galley, which projects out, connecting the internal work surface to an external storage module by means of a fold-up extension. It then continues further aft by means of a hinge-up table on the back of that module, so the quality of integration between saloon and cockpit is first-class.
There’s plenty of space for toys and furniture inside the twin sunbeds
The only thing that might seem out of kilter here is pricing. With a base price of €916,000 ex VAT and a high-spec package price closer to €1.4M, it’s at the same level as the Aquila 42 Fly. But as a genuinely rapid 40-knot sports coupé rather than a sedate 20-knot cruiser, the extra money has quite rightly been spent on upgrading the flex-free integrity of its vinylester resin-infused structure.
Aquila 42 Coupé specifications
LOA: 42ft 10in (13.06m)
BEAM: 13ft 4in (4.05m)
TOP SPEED: 40 knots
ENGINES: D6 400-440s / 400hp V10 outboards
PRICE: From €916,000 ex VAT
CONTACT: aquilaboats.com
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