Making its debut in Southampton will be Sunseeker’s updated Sunseeker Manhattan 68, featuring several beneficial upgrades.
The Sunseeker Manhattan 68‘s superstructure profile appears subtly sleeker, thanks in part to the absence of the old model’s peculiar aft sharkfin mouldings. However, it’s on the inside that the updates really change the way this new model looks and feels.
The aft cockpit, for instance, sees the old forward-facing dinette replaced with a more open L-shaped unit, alongside new angled steel struts for the flybridge overhang, which open up the views from the transom bench and create a handy structure for the drop-down privacy blind.
The upper saloon is subtly divided from the new full-beam aft galley
A change in layout enables the cockpit to integrate much better with the interior spaces too. The compact starboard galley and port dinette have been swapped for a new full-beam galley with a central table, which means that when you open up the sliding aft doors, the inside and outside spaces merge neatly together.
But you can also swap the freestanding table and chairs for the optional banquette with reversible backrest, in which case, you help optimise that integration by facing aft, directly out into the cockpit itself.
Up on the flybridge, the changes are equally valuable. The old model’s compact dinette and freestanding aft sunlounger deck have been combined into one enormous seating and dining area. This can be extended with the aid of a sliding front bench that doubles as the portside helm seat. The refresh also brings a new palette of exterior upholstery options.
The owner’s cabin comes with a private staircase
The four-cabin lower deck is pretty much the same as the old Manhattan 68 but there’s some useful extra flexibility dialled into the internal arrangement. The raised forward section of the main deck saloon, for instance, can either be left open to the big aft galley or screened off by eye-level lockers and louvred slats.
You can also do away with the private staircase to the owner’s cabin in favour of a wider saloon. And while that may make sense for those keen to optimise dayboating space, we’d be inclined to keep it, partly for the extra privacy and partly because the alternative entrance forces the fourth cabin to downgrade its twin beds to bunks.
Article continues below…
Sunseeker Manhattan 68 tour: Big changes inside
Sunseeker Manhattan 66 review: from the archive
Sunseeker Manhattan 68 Specifications:
LOA: 69ft 7in (21.21m)
Beam: 17ft 3in (5.26m)
Engines: Twin MAN V8 1,000s-1,200s:
Top speed: 32 knots
Price: From £2.45M ex VAT
Contact details: www.sunseeeker.com
If you enjoyed this….
If you enjoyed this….Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.
Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.
Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.
Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
