Trade-A-Boat — February 2018

S

tepping onto the

Clipper Cordova 60

at Runaway Bay on

the Gold Coast, the

first thing I notice

is the boat purring away on

the spot – in the middle of

the marina – with no one

at the helm and no anchor

down. Huh?

Turns out this handy

trick is Twin Disc’s Express

Positioning feature, courtesy

of its Electronic Joystick

System (EJS). Find your spot,

hit the button and stay there.

Handy stuff.

TheCordova60isa

serious oceangoing yacht

for long trips over big water

and her 18.6m overall length

is matched by a healthy

5m-plus beam.

From that first step onto

the teak of the aft deck, you

can’t help but peek through

the wide aft doors to the

inviting interior within. Be

prepared to be dazzled by

the Cordova’s new look.

You’ll barely recognise this

Clipper.

If you’re coming through

the aft doors, you’re coming

through the galley, too.

There’s no missing this

massive space stretching

along the portside of the

saloon, and sectioned off by

an island bench with stools.

That apartment vibe extends

to sisal carpets and tall

windows surrounding the

saloon. The cabinetry and

wall liners are walnut in a

satin finish for a modern feel

that contrasts nicely with the

lighter sofa fabrics.

Head forward to the helm

and you come across an

L-shaped lounge with table

that should seat eight with

a few folding chairs. Across

from here is the downstairs

helm. There's great vision

all around and in fact, it’s all

stylish curves, sexy leather

and polished metal.

The flybridge treads a

more traditional path, but

is a top spot to spend time.

Amid the blindingly white

fibreglass are a host of

creature comforts, including

twin helm chairs, and two

lounging areas. There’s also a

barbecue/wet bar.

You’ll notice a tempting

array of bow seating too.

There’s a sunpad and bench,

all with drinkholders. It’s

just another in the Cordova’s

long list of attractive

entertainment spaces.

Walking aft from the bow,

the wide varnished caprails

down each side add a real

touch of class.

From the galley, a

staircase leads upstairs,

while another heads down

to the accommodation, just

forward of the starboard

helm door. The stylish fitout

and contemporary fittings

continue below decks,

where a corridor leads to the

forward VIP and twin cabins,

or to the centrally-located

master with island bed.

Down aft, and accessed via a

hatch, is a crew cabin.

Underway, the Cordova

feels assured and steady.

She’s stable and powerful

through turns and Wesmar

stabilising fins keep her on

an even keel if the weather

is lousy. The overall ride is

smooth and predictable,

designed to chew up the

miles efficiently with

minimal fuss.

Onesignificant advantage

of pairing the 715hp

Cummins engines with a

semi-displacement hull is

the ability to move fast. She’ll

plough along all day at 9kts

for around 1000nm, but if

needs be the Cordova can get

up and go, hitting 23kts.

Between the stunning

interior redesign, robust

bluewater capability

and Twin Disc’s intuitive

electronics, it’s a tough job to

fault the Cordova.

quick specs

Clipper Cordova

PRICE AS TESTED $2.47m

MATERIAL Fibreglass

TYPE Powercat

LENGTH 18.6m

BEAM 5.12m

ENGINE 2 x 715hp Cummins

QSM 10.8 turbo-diesel

FUEL 4300lt

WATER 1500lt

FOR MORE INFO

Visit clippermotoryachts.com

Clipper Cordova 60

MODERN CLASSIC

80 tradeaboat.com.au