This year's Southampton Boat Show featured plenty of UK debuts and even some global launches, here's our pick of bunch
Whether you’re hunting for a high-octane 50-knot day boat, a weather-proof four-season cruiser, or a luxurious flagship motor yacht, the pontoon displays at Mayflower Park offer something for every taste and budget.
This year’s Southampton International Boat Show brings together an impressive lineup of world premieres, long-awaited UK debuts, and clever re-imaginations of proven classics. From pocket flybridges to beach-club-inspired coupes, here are 12 standout motorboats you simply can’t afford to miss.
Duchy 45
One of the highlights of this year’s Southampton show looks certain to be the world premiere of the new Cockwells Duchy 45. Following in the footsteps of the popular Duchy 27 and 35, it features a sturdy semi-displacement hull designed by Andrew Wolstenholme, matched to an elegant coupé profile and a semi-custom handcrafted interior.
What the renderings don’t convey is just how much larger this new model is. The actual LOA is over 48ft, which combined with a 14ft 7in beam makes for a lot of usable space. Admittedly, a fair chunk of that is taken up by an extended bathing platform, but that still leaves plenty of room inside and out for entertaining.
The cockpit’s U-shaped seating and dining area is offset to starboard to make way for a transom gate and walkway to port, while deep side decks should make this a very safe boat to crew. Optional sunpads on the coachroof, meanwhile, turn the foredeck into another outdoor relaxation zone.
You can opt for the galley down layout if you prefer
Twin bi-fold doors give excellent access into the saloon, and while the renderings show this with a galley opposite a C-shaped dinette, there’s also the option of galley-down layout if you’re prepared to sacrifice the third cabin. Either way, you still get a generous owner’s cabin forward with its own bathroom, and a guest double to starboard with ensuite access to a second shared day heads/shower room.
Unusually for such a traditional looking craft, power comes from a pair of Volvo IPS600 pod drives rather than shafts and rudders, but that should help deliver a smooth, quiet and fuel-efficient drive to match the seakeeping of its semi-displacement hull. It also brings the added benefits of joystick berthing and dynamic positioning. There’s even the option of a Seakeeper gyro stabiliser for roll-free anchoring.
This level of quality and craftsmanship doesn’t come cheap but it’s not hard to see where the money has gone and there’s plenty of scope for customisation, including somewhat unexpectedly, the addition of a flybridge! We can’t wait to see what that will look like.
Duchy 45 specifications
LOA: 48ft 3in (14.7m)
BEAM: 14ft 7in (4.45m)
ENGINES: 2 x Volvo Penta IPS600
TOP SPEED: 31 knots
CONTACT: www.cockwells.co.uk
Fairline Targa 58 GTO
Fairline’s new Targa 58 GTO is very much in demand. Having made its world debut at the Cannes Yachting Festival in early September, it will also be appearing at the Southampton Boat Show just five days later – and that’s an exciting prospect.
It’s designed to take everything we enjoyed so much on the award-winning Squadron 58 and repackage it in an even better looking coupé model. Clearly that means you have to sacrifice the extra space delivered by the flybridge but the payback for that is a much sleeker profile with a large opening sunroof and a drop-down door between the cockpit and saloon that turns the whole area into one big single-level party zone.
While precise details remain scarce ahead of the boat’s official unveiling, the latest renders also suggest quite a decadent beach-club-style aft end. It comes with an open transom, a high-low platform, a central sunbed and a pair of drop-down terraces, plus a low-slung dinette and an L-shaped galley that straddles the threshold, inside the shelter of the sculpted window extensions at the aft end of the open superstructure.
To really nail that beachclub vibe, the tender garage beneath the sunbed can also be upgraded with a shower, fridge and speakers. And the fact that the superstructure itself looks relatively short sees a great deal of the length dedicated to this section of the boat.
The saloon flows directly out into the open aft space
There’s an additional port dinette and a twin helm in the internal saloon, beneath the natural light of a large sunroof; and on either side of this, raised side decks take you forward to a bow lounge comprising a wraparound bench and a forward island sunbed.
As for the cabin arrangement, it follows the same layout as the 58 Squadron with a full-beam ensuite owner’s cabin amidships, a VIP cabin with flexible scissor-berth option forward and a guest twin to starboard.
There’s also the option of a single crew cabin, plus a choice of two engine rigs – either twin Volvo Penta D13-900s or D13-1000s, both on straight shafts. While that ought to deliver 33-knot performance, it should also bring an extra dose of handling vigour thanks to the Coupé model’s reduced weight and windage and its naturally lower centre of gravity.
Fairline Targa 58 GTO specifications
LOA: 58ft 11in (17.98m)
BEAM: 16ft 4in (4.99m)
ENGINES: 2 x 900-1,000hp Volvo Penta D13s
TOP SPEED: 33 knots
CONTACT: www.fairline.com
Levi Trentuno
The Levi Corsair remains one of the great boating icons of our age and is still being handbuilt today by a small team of artisans in a Venetian workshop. Now that same team has chosen the Southampton Boat Show to launch an even more bespoke model called the Levi Trentuno.
Taking inspiration from a previous Sonny Levi design, G. Cinquanta, which was originally built for Fiat magnate Gianni Agnelli in 1967, it promises to be an intoxicating mix of old-school craftsmanship meets modern power and performance.
Such is the handbuilt nature of the craft that the exact dimensions have yet to be confirmed but we do know it will feature a traditional Sonny Levi deep-vee hull paired with a thumping 520hp 8.6-litre Mercury V8 petrol engine, giving it an estimated top speed of 50 knots. There’s also a 480hp Volvo D6 option for diesel fans.
Either way, the end result should be one of the most exclusive and exhilarating drives around, with enough open seating and sunbeds to take a few friends along for the ride.
There’s even a small cuddy cabin although whether it’s for occasional overnighting or simply a day heads and dry storage isn’t clear. Given its bespoke nature, owners can doubtless spec it how they choose.
Levi Trentuno specifications
LOA: Approx 30ft (9m)
BEAM: Aprox 9ft (2.75m)
ENGINES: Single 540hp Mercury V8 petrol or 480hp Volvo D6 diesel
CONTACT: www.wessexmarine.co.uk
Nord Star 49+ Flybridge
This is an absolute beast of a boat. As well as being the flagship of the Nord Star range, the one at the show is fitted with optional triple 380hp Volvo D6 engines, giving it a top speed of around 43 knots. Given that this is a heavily built 50ft flybridge weighing around 15 tonnes, that really is some going.
It may be built like a tank with the performance of a sportsboat but it also looks to be a comfortable cruiser. A compact aft galley opens up into a wonderfully big, bright saloon with seating on both sides and fine views out.
The twin suspension helm seats are mounted on a raised plinth for maximum comfort and visibility, with sliding doors on both sides for easy access to the side decks.
Down below there are two big ensuite cabins, while up top, the flybridge provides plenty of secure seating with a table and wet bar for relaxed days at anchor. The standard drivetrain is a pair of Volvo D6s, either on IPS drives or DPS sterndrives for maximum efficiency.
That will still give you comfortable 25-30 knot cruising and a top end of around 37 knots at a more modest starting price of £740,000 ex VAT.
Nord Star 49+ Flybridge specifications
LOA: 49ft 0in (15.45m)
BEAM: 13ft 6in (4.15m)
ENGINES: 3 x 380hp Volvo DPI
PRICE: From £740,000.00 ex VAT
CONTACT: www.nordstaruk.com
Sirena 48
Turkish yard, Sirena Yachts, will be in Southampton with the smallest of its award-winning liveaboard cruisers, but by the standards of the sector, it’s actually a really voluminous boat.
Designed to enable a range of pursuits from day boating to extended family cruises, it combines a length of nearly 53ft with a generous beam, lofty decks and vertical trawler-style sides – and the result of that is a claimed 25% more usable volume than its competitors.
The unfussy three-cabin, two-bathroom arrangement also provides plenty of space throughout, with remarkable headroom and huge views, particularly from the owner’s full-beam mid cabin. That trick is repeated up in the main deck saloon, where the big port dinette gets great views all-round – and the rest of the layout works well too.
The covered aft cockpit integrates nicely with the aft galley. There’s also a full-sized flybridge, split in two, with an aft bench and wet bar, and a forward dinette and sunlounger, plus a central mast to keep the views wide open. And while it comes with Cummins 550s on V-drives, it’s also available with the uprated D11-670s for performance in the region of 27 knots.
Sirena 48 specifications
LOA: 52ft 8in (16.04m)
BEAM: 16ft 5in (5.00m)
ENGINES: 2 x Cummins QSB 6.7 550s or Q11 670s
TOP SPEED: 27 knots
CONTACT: www.sirenayachts.com
Axopar 38 XC
Shortly after the new Axopar 38 Cross Top makes its world debut at the Cannes Yachting Festival, this new XC (Cross Cabin) variant will be putting in a UK-first appearance in Southampton – and what a boat it is. Though it’s largely based on (and is ultimately likely to replace) the iconic best-selling Axopar 37, this
is a new boat in all kinds of very pleasing ways.
For a start, it’s 1ft 2in longer, 7in wider and 1,500kg heavier than the 37. That in itself makes it look and feel like a much more substantial and grown-up boat. It also uses a slightly loftier freeboard for extra inboard security, plus a redesigned chine for extra bow lift and a more pronounced bow flare for a drier ride.
A pair of drop-down bulwarks is another step up over the 37 – and that’s great for playing at anchor, particularly as the pilothouse opens up so dramatically, on the sides, up above and in the form of the optional flip-up rear window.
Get it on the water for a drive and while the dryness and extra bow elevation are really useful in a following sea, it’s the sheer ride softness that really marks this boat out as something special.
In spite of the sheltered day spaces, it’s a great boat at anchor
It feels more like a well-sorted powercat than a monohull – and while that’s great for long passages, it also enables you to sit up in the bow lounge, even underway, without undue concern for your security or comfort.
It’s brilliant for the singlehanded skipper too, thanks to two wide side doors, long side decks, easy-reach rails and cleats, and equally well-placed boarding steps on both sides. And in spite of its 47-knot top-end and twin-stepped hull, the control and composure on offer make it a great boat for the novice.
As an Axopar though, the options are critical. Up at the bow, you can opt for a lounge or a sun bed. Back in the cockpit, you can have the brilliant aft cabin, the wet bar or the aft bench. Down in the forward cabin, you can spec a separate heads compartment and pantry or extra lounge seating.
You can also choose a pair of 300s on the transom, but given the extra pace, load-carrying and watersports potential (not to mention the broader cruising band and the quieter, more refined passage-making), the 350s are by far the stronger option.
Axopar 38 XC specifications
LOA: 38ft 11in (11.86m)
BEAM: 11ft 7in (3.53m)
ENGINES: Twin Mercury V8 300 / V10 350hp outboards
TOP SPEED: 47 knots
PRICE: From €239,800 ex VAT
CONTACT: www.axopar.com
Saxdor 460 GTC
This year’s Southampton Boat Show will play host to the new flagship of the world’s fastest-growing leisure boat brand – and as you would expect, the 460 GTC follows in the Saxdor tradition of making the most of every square inch of space by virtue of wholesale convertibility.
Take the pilothouse itself. It uses a full-beam design to create tremendous internal space for sheltered year-round boating. It makes that as practical as possible with a sociable triple helm, a port galley with seat, a stern bench and a starboard dinette. But when you shift the roof back, slide the side doors aft, open the big stern window and drop the midships terraces, the whole dynamic changes.
With fold-out backrests at the big starboard dinette and the port bench, what began the day as a spacious year-round pilothouse cruiser becomes an open semi-walkaround platform, tailor-made to connect you to your surroundings at anchor. You can even push the summer vibes a stage further with an optional terrace-mounted hammock to chill out on.
The dedicated outdoor spaces are also really strong. While the aft cockpit can be merged with the internal saloon by means of a half-height window and a port door, you can of course adapt it to your needs.
The first 60 or 70 boats will come with the cockpit seating
You can stick with a pair of sociable sofas in the lee of the superstructure that integrate very neatly with the internal furniture; or you can opt instead for a spacious central sunbed on top of the optional aft cabin, taking the boat’s cruising capacity to six. And you still get a big, deep-set convertible bow lounge with an asymmetrical layout to enable easy access from the pilothouse’s port walkway, so even with the three-cabin layout, you’re not sacrificing too much in the way of external day space.
As for the two permanent cabins, they include a guest twin beneath the forward part of the saloon and a big, bright owner’s forward cabin that makes full use of the headroom created by the bow lounge’s raised seat mouldings.
There’s also room for a bathroom with a separate shower compartment on the starboard side .
In spite of the scale of this new flagship, performance ought to be everything we’ve come to expect from Saxdor. With a proven twin-stepped hull and engine options that range from triple Mercury V8 300s to twin V12 600s and even triple V10 425s, a mixed life of watersports, family cruises and 50-knot joy rides should be on the cards.
Saxdor 460 GTC specifications
LOA: 46ft 0in (14.00m)
BEAM: 11ft 10in (3.60m)
ENGINES: Twin/triple outboards from 900-1,275hp
TOP SPEED: 50 knots
PRICE: From €499,000
CONTACT: www.saxdor.com
Botnia Targa 37
he trouble with Targas is that they’re built so well and to such a timeless design that when a new one comes along it can be hard to spot the difference, especially when it bears the same name as its predecessor. But not only is this 37 an entirely new model, it’s also a considerably better one – from a cruising perspective at least – so we’d highly recommend checking it out when it makes its UK debut at the Southampton show this month.
Look carefully and there are a few giveaways. The hull windows are bigger than before, there are boarding gates in the cockpit sides, the wheelhouse glazing is flush-mounted and the boat show example has the BlackLine styling package, which replaces the usual stainless steel railings with stealthier matt black ones.
It’s a great-looking boat but it’s also a more comfortable one. The cockpit has much better seating than before with cosy benches featuring proper back and side supports, as well as an extending bimini shade.
The same holds true for the flybridge, which now has a more sociable C-shaped dinette and a reversible backrest to convert the front bench into a forward facing navigator’s seat. There’s even a pair of sunpads on the raised foredeck moulding.
The starboard galley is a big improvement over the old 37’s
Inside the wheelhouse, the old 37’s token forward galley has been replaced by a much larger, more comprehensive unit running along the starboard side with an oven, hob and fridge. The cabins are better too, making full use of the extra 25mm of beam and bigger hull windows to deliver valuable extra light
and space. Both have their own ensuite bathrooms, while the stern one has a bigger double bed in addition to a small single.
Elsewhere, it’s business as usual with a very capable-looking new hull and a wide range of twin Volvo D6 engines. The show boat will have the most powerful twin 480hp variants for a top speed of around 44 knots. Given that the previous 37 was one of the UK’s most popular Targas, this new one should sell even better.
Botnia Targa 37 specifications
LOA: 41ft 2in (12.55m)
BEAM: 12ft 4in (3.75m)
ENGINES: Twin Volvo D6 340-480hp diesel sterndrives
TOP SPEED: 44 knots
CONTACT: www.targa.fi
Marex 390
ondering which boats to add to your must-see list at Southampton? We think the Marex 390 should be right at the top. While both the external styling and the main deck layout are similar to that of the multi-award-winning Marex 440, this smaller model actually outdoes the larger boat in some respects.
The aft platform, for instance, uses a set of integrated teak boxes and a removable table so, in addition to excellent storage for your lines and fenders, you also get a charming aft-facing station for your morning coffee – and that very natural opportunity to grab a seat and take in the view is a great introduction to what
this boat is all about.
Step into the cockpit and it’s impossible not to be impressed. It’s large, deep and safe with wraparound seating on all sides and a clever transom gate that enables you to generate a fifth cosy little corner seat.
In fact, you could feasibly seat ten people in here without the slightest problem.
The saloon features another huge dinette to port, opposite a long starboard galley. The use of a reversible co-pilot backrest and swing-out stools means you can seat another 6-8 people in here – so when you open up the aft doors, you find yourself with an unbroken expanse of seating pretty much from the transom to the dash, creating what is undoubtedly one of the most sociable set-ups we’ve ever witnessed on a boat of this size.
The convertible ten-person cockpit is only part of the story
The volume down below is also pretty strong. It’s used for a large bow cabin, a starboard bathroom and a transverse midships double with a huge cabinet and changing zone beneath the bright dashtop skylight.
Both cabins feel distinctly generous and, as on the main deck with its steamed ash flooring, teak tables and alcantara trim, the finish is delightful. Better still, if you want to sleep six people rather than just four, this boat is well set up for it. Simply convert the aft cockpit into a huge bed, slide the integrated canvases shut and close the aft doors.
With an internal galley and dinette, plus easy access to the starboard side deck via the skipper’s door, there’s no need to invade your guests’ space. And to top it all off, this is a good boat to drive, too. With a pair of uprated D6-440s in the engine bay, you can expect to fly along at comfortably in excess of 40 knots, enjoying a helm that is unquestionably one of the industry’s very best.
Marex 390 specifications
LOA: 39ft 4in (12.0m)
BEAM: 12ft 3in (3.73m)
ENGINES: Twin D4-320s / D6-440 diesels
TOP SPEED: 41 knots
PRICE: From €551,600 ex tax
CONTACT: www.marex.no
Viknes S35 Flybridge
mall flybridge boats are rarer than British prime ministers these days so all credit to Viknes dealer Fine Design Marine for bringing in one of these little beauties in time for the show. The 40ft Viknes 10 won our award for best family cruiser up to 45ft last year and judging from the photos, the Norwegian yard has done an equally good job of packing a lot of the same features and finesse into this more compact flybridge craft.
Measuring less than 35ft long, it still has space for two good cabins with beds for up to five and a shared heads/shower room. But it’s the daytime facilities that really impress thanks to a well protected and very comfortable outdoor cockpit that flows into an equally welcoming saloon with a dinette, galley and single-seat helm station.
A fold-away ladder in the cockpit gives access up to the flybridge, which once again surprises with another cosy dinette opposite the outdoor helm and a sunpad recessed into the cockpit overhang.
A semi-displacement hull powered by a single shaftdrive Yanmar engine should make for safe, solid, reliable cruising rather than anything too exhilarating, but given the weight up top that’s probably no bad thing.
With prices starting from £347,55, it looks like a lot of boat for the money.
Viknes S35 Flybridge specifications
LOA: 34ft 9in (10.6m)
BEAM: 11ft 7in (3.52m)
ENGINE: Single 37-440hp Yanmar
TOP SPEED: 28 knots
PRICE: From £347,455 ex tax
CONTACT: www.finedesign-marine.co.uk
Windy SR40
his is the first chance for buyers to see the new SR40 at a British boat show and it’s well worth a visit. Fun to drive as the rest of the Windy range is, none of them offer the level of weather protection that this model does.
With a windscreen that connects directly to the hard top and big sliding side doors that can be pushed back for a more open driving experience or forward to create a semi-enclosed helm position, it’s ideally suited to the vagaries of our British climate.
Although it’s available with big petrol outboards and a clever pop-up aft cabin for extra speed and versatility, it’s the twin D6 diesel model that’s likely to prove more popular over here.
There’s still a very comfortable forward cabin with either a permanent or convertible double bed and a really good separate heads/wet room. But it’s the main deck that really sells this boat. With full walkaround decks giving safe, easy access to the bow and a well protected, sociable cockpit with an outdoor galley and optional folding side platforms, it’s a really user-friendly family boat with all the usual Windy benefits of solid build quality, top class detailing and a fast, efficient, sea-worthy deep-vee hull.
Windy SR40 specifications
LOA: 40ft 0in (13.05m)
BEAM: 13ft 1in (4.00m)
ENGINES: 2 x 600hp Mercury Verado outboard or 2 x 320hp Volvo Penta D4 or 440hp D6 DPH
TOP SPEED: 42-52 knots
PRICE: From £800,000 ex VAT
CONTACT: www.saltwater-solutions.co.uk
Iron 907 Coupé
We’ve rarely (if ever) been more impressed with a pure driver’s boat than we were with the Iron Boats 827, so this new flagship is definitely one worth seeking out in Southampton. Like all Iron Boats, it’s the work of Swedish brothers, Lars and Henrik Peterson, with design input from the famous Mannerfelt studio.
And although it might look like a RIB at first glance, it’s actually more like a hard sports boat with a high-performance hull and a thick rubber fender for extra internal volume and uprated impact resistance.
On this latest iteration, however, the hull gets an improved stringer system and outboard options of up to 500hp for the promise of 55-knot performance. It also comes with a short coupé-style pilothouse with space for up to five people and a retractable roof and sliding side doors for use on sunny days.
There’s also room for a sunbed at the bow and a sofa on the aft deck, and while it remains very much a thoroughbred four-season day boat, the cabin does convert into a sleeping zone for occasional overnighting.
For additional practicality, you get a chemical toilet as part of the standard package, plus a range of well-judged options, including a cabin heater, a fridge and a transom shower.
Iron 907 Coupé specifications
LOA: 29ft 3in (9.07m)
BEAM: 8ft 0in (2.44m)
ENGINES: 300-500hp outboards
TOP SPEED: 55 knots
CONTACT: www.iron.boats
Brig Navigator 19
Prolific Ukrainian RIB builder, Brig, will be exhibiting a new entry point to the next-generation of its established Navigator line at Southampton.
As the natural successor to the Navigator 570 and 610, the new 19 is designed to be accessible, versatile and novice-friendly. As such, it makes really good use of the available cockpit space. In spite of relatively wide tubes, it has a broad beam and an offset console (the only one in the product line) to free up a proper walkway along the port side.
While the cockpit only has two rows of bench seats, there are grab rails built into the back of the helm seats for a really comfortable standing position. There are also facing seats in the bow so you can use that as a compact lounge area at anchor. Back aft, there’s space for a pair of swim platforms on either side
of the outboard engine, plus rod holders on top of the sturdy-looking towing arch.
Even the styling looks good, with lots of quality detailing, anodised black rails and a samson post in the forepeak that give off a suitably robust, purposeful vibe.
Brig Navigator 19 specifications
LOA: 18ft 8in (5.70m)
BEAM: 8ft 2in (2.50m)
ENGINES: Single outboard from 115-140hp
TOP SPEED: 30 knots
PRICE: TBC
CONTACT: www.brig.co.uk
