T
he policemen are
getting younger.
So, I fi nd, are the
politicians. And boats
are getting bigger
too. This last is not a
subjective judgement
caused by the onset
of age but a quantifi able fact, and there
is no better example than Sunseeker’s
Manhattan 66. Introduced to replace
the Manhattan 65, which is still a popular
model, and which is only the shorter
boat on paper, the Poole shipyard’s latest
motor yacht is both taller and wider,
and clearly more voluminous. Indeed,
viewing the two boats moored next to
each other, stern to the quay, you could
easily form the impression that the
new boat must be a good ten feet longer
than the old.
It’s an impression which is heightened as
you step aboard. The extra width translates
to a cockpit that seems roomy even with
the optional bar fi tted, and the glass doors
to the interior slide completely out of the
way. With much the same length of saloon
to play with as in the 65 – the windscreen
is a long way forward – the design team of
the Manhattan 66 has opted for an open-
plan aft galley, and the effect is to transport
you from the open space outside into yet
more open space inside.
Headroom at the galley is an unusually
generous 6ft 8in (2.03m) and it doesn’t
reduce by a millimetre as you step up
into the saloon. These are the tangible
benefi ts of a tall superstructure and, set
alongside the intangible benefi ts of light
and air and the unlimited sightlines
offered by those strangely shaped but
undeniably gigantic saloon windows,
the overall effect is superb.OPTICAL ILLUSIONS
Once you have stood there and taken in
the view, admiring the thoughtful way in
which the low-profi le furniture allows you
to see from the cockpit forward and right
through the windscreen, you’ll notice the
companionway on the starboard side. This
is one more signifi cant change over the
Manhattan 66’s predecessor, and it leads
down to the midships master suite. The
other set of steps, up forward between
the helm station and the bench seat on
the port side, leads down to the VIP and
the two guest cabins.A private companionway for the owner
is an undoubted luxury, especially on
a yacht of this size. But while it might
at fi rst sight seem a fairly profl igate use
of valuable hull volume, it is actually a
practical solution that creates more space
down below, not less. Fun fact: the 2017
Manhattan 66 can boast some 86ft^2 (8m^2 )
more fl oor area on the lower deck than
the 2003 model – a phenomenal increase
in this class of yacht. A glance at the plans
of the new 66’s most immediate
predecessor, meanwhile, the Manhattan
65 of 2013, shows how the central corridor
on the lower deck, that necessarily leads
aft to the master suite, steals space from
the smaller guest cabins, to the extent
that one of them is only big enough to
accommodate bunk berths.
Not so on the 66, which has two
symmetrical twin-berth guest cabins of
equal size, one with ensuite access to the
day heads. The single beds, it’s true, are
only 27in (68cm) wide (although a full 6ft
4in long, or 1.93m), but unless you’re very
young that’s still a whole lot better than
being put in the top bunk. And the extra
cabin space comes with additional benefi ts,
notably stowage, while headroom in the
guest cabins is a lofty 6ft 6in (1.98m).
As an option, if you prefer your galley
to be down and out of sight, it can be
installed in the space occupied as standard
by the port guest cabin. This frees up space
at the after end of the saloon for another
L-shaped sofa.
VIP cabins in motor yachts of this size
have a tricky job to do, needing to look
impressive enough to justify their name
while often being squeezed for space if the
designers have indulged themselves with
a massive owner’s suite. The Manhattan
66’s has clearly been pushed well forward- the bed, although of proper domestic
dimensions, is mounted way higher than
you would consider acceptable at home –
but it still ought to go down as a reasonable
success, with good headroom at the door
of 6ft 5in (1.96m), a comfortable heads
compartment with a separate shower, two
hanging lockers, and of course a pair of big
hull windows.
A space-saving sliding door with a
slightly fi ddly catch leads into the owner’s
suite, where a walk-in wardrobe and the
shower and head compartment are
arranged along the aft bulkhead as added
sound insulation from the machinery
These are the tangible benefi ts of a tall
superstructure and the effect is superb
The galley opens right
out into the cockpit thanks
to excellent sliding doorsDeep windows and low-level
furnishings maximise the
views from the saloon
BOAT REPORT