Opinions on 60-70' Express Cruiser

Fair warning: I know nothing, but this is one fun topic!

From your list I would be taking the Fairline and Viking most seriously. Interesting to hear that the Viking prices are out of whack with Princess. If you have a weakness for Med exotics (I plead guilty), it would be a hoot to kick the tires on a Mangusta. Please keep us posted on what you get to see.

Kelly Cook

Another one to consider is the Sunseeker 72 and the new 62. Also, I just read April Yachting Mag and Sea Ray has a new 60(if you may consider Domestic). It looks as if Sea Ray has really upped their game.

Hi GoPlay and welcome,

I thought about your post after I looked at a Fairline Targa at the Palm Beach Boat Show. It bares a strong resemblence to another boat that is slightly shorter than the size you're looking for. Have you seen the Neptunus 55' Cabrio? If you haven't seen this boat, you might want to take a look at it.

I'm beginning to see alot more of their boats on the water and there's a good reason. These are high-end boats without a premium price. I've been told by two different owners that these boats are rock solid. I'm not up to speed on the 55's performance, but their website might have some stats.

www.******************

Good luck and let us know what you buy!

Thanks for your report goplay!

This is hard to judge from photos. But the shots on their web sites make it appear that the running angle of the Azimut is flatter, with the Fairline carrying its bow a little higher. Did you happen to notice anything like this in your trials?

Kelly

... so why not a Wally?

Riva 68 Ego

Have a look at the Riva 68 Ego.
One of the nicest express cruisers in this size range.

If only I could, this will be my choice!

Boy! That Wally concept really didn't "re-size" well, yuk!

Kelly

I concur with Kelly's comment. It would probably look a lot better if the anchor pulpit was cut off. Come to think of it, it would look alot better if the whole top deck was removed and replaced with something that resembles a real superstructure.

The Wally designs were never appealing to me, but I'm a little old school. I can understand why the generation behind might like these boats, because they're different. But more than this, the boat serves no useful purpose, other than a technology fashion statement. To those that think Wallys are cool, I expect they have never spent anytime aboard one of them. They don't offer any useful amenities and I can't think of any yachtsman that would buy one. Another thing is the price. If you couple that with a complete lack of function, you have a boat destined to be economically obsolete before it even arrives at a dealer's dock.
I've owned a good number of boats, including a couple over 100 feet. Beleive me, the "wow" factor tends to wear off pretty fast when a boat presents a lot of limitations. A teenager might say wow, but an experienced yacht owner would wonder what in blazes the owner was thinking when he bought that boat!

The Riva 68 Ego definitely has the "WOW EFFECT" on most people who see it.

Getting back to the Azi vs Fairline dilemma. That Fairline has an odd stern treatment, with a high deck aft of the sunpad -

http://www.************/targa/images/t62_photo2.jpg

Unusual, but think I like that better than the stern on the Azi. What was your impression of this stern layout goplay?

Kelly

I haven't priced these boats. I'm not in the market for one. My express days were ten years ago. I've read that Wally's 118 was extremely expensive, so it stood to reason the 70 would carry an equally extravagant price. I did look at the Riva 33' center console at a show about a year ago. When a company wants $700k for a utility boat, I have no interest in looking at the larger offerings. I think some of these companies have lost touch with reality. I didn't get to where I am by throwing away money, or needing to spend more than the next guy to establish my individuality.

All the express boats your looking at are at the high end of the spectrum. For myself, I don't go for the slick Italian jobs. Ferrari's are nice to behold, but they don't make for good daily drivers. Before you buy, be sure to spend time on these boats relaxing on them, moving about and how you bump into other people onboard. We all want a beautiful woman, but living with her is a different story. There are some you want to bump into. Others you may want to escape from.

I'm just trying to be a voice of reason, but I tend to play devils advocate too. If it was me, I wouldn't buy a boat without a flybridge, but then again I wouldn't buy an Azimut either. I've got friends that own one and they've had some problems. Have you looked at Lazzara's line? I came close to buying a 106. They have well engineered boats, roomy layouts and Euro styling.

More "La dolce vita" styled boats

Picture : Sarnico 65 www.cantieridisarnico.it

AB 68 www.abyachts.com
Aicon 72 www.aiconyachts.com

Not necessarily. The 118 is a one-off, while the 70 is a semi-production model. The 118 has been a lone example for a few years already. On the other hand, the first 70 debuted last year sometime (can't remember exactly when) and they've already shown the 2nd, and I seem to recall that a third, or maybe even fourth, is being built.