Interview
Ian
Sanderson
CEO of XSMG
Described by Jeremy Clarkson as “the most beautiful
thing created by man”, the idea for the XSR48 came
from CEO of XSMG Ian Sanderson. He is a speedboat
master, w ith ten UIM international endurance
powerboat records, two world
titles and three European titles. “I
felt that there was a huge gap in
the market for an F1 car-type
powerboat that could be positioned as
a supercar of the sea. A ‘superboat’, it would
be the marine equivalent of a Bugatti Vey ron.”
His general intent was to produce a powerboat
with the technology, performance and driving
experience of an F1 car. To do this, he based it on a
hull that, in f ull racing form, can run at an incredibly
impressive 140mph.Sanderson explains carbon fi bre monocoque
construction was used to lower the centre of grav it y,
prov ide massive strength and durabilit y, and
increase internal cubic capacity by 40 per cent
compared to traditional designs. This means the
cockpit and cabin are larger, fuel tanks bigger – even
comfort is improved, as more equipment such as
fridges and air conditioning units can be fi tted.
“The hull has three transverse steps that introduce
air under the boat to help her break away from the
friction of the water. At each step, the V-shape of the
hull is decreased from bow to stern. This means that
the hull has a deep sharp V at the bow, which cuts
through the waves and the back the boat runs on at
high speed.”“I felt that there was a huge gap
in the market for an F1 car-type
powerboat that could be positioned
as a supercar of the sea”Engine
Various engines are offered.
Seatek 820 Turbo engines are six
cylinders, four valves per cylinder,
direct injection and boast a ver y
good reliability record.Surface drives
The ver y high speeds of the
XSR48 mean surface drives
are the best solution for
transmitting power.Speedy
A high deadrise hull means
high speeds can be achieved
even in high wave seas; it
stops the XSR48 launching off
one wave and crashing hard
onto the next.Hull and deck
These are made from Kevlar
and carbon fibre. This makes it
very strong and rigid, and
enables it to have the
full-length glass roof.Interior
Car designers who worked for
Rolls-Royce, Bugatti and Bentley
worked on the boat’s interior.A selection of available engines
provide speeds up to 100mphXSR superboat
Manufacturer: XSMG World
Unit price: £1.2 million
Dimensions: Length: 14.6m,
beam: 3.19m, height overall:
3.1m, height above water: 2.2m
Displacement: 8,750kg
Engine: Two 10.3 L Seatek 820
Plus Turbo – 603 kW
Fuel: Diesel, capacity 1,000 litres
Top speed: 70 knots
Horsepower: 1,640bhp
(standard), 1,900bhp (max)The statistics...
DID YOU KNOW? 100,000 man hours were spent developing the XSR48, to create the world’s first superboat