Canal Boat — February 2018

26 February 2018 Canal Boat canalboat.co.ukcanalboat.co.uk

THE BOAT TEST

WORDS ADAM PORTER PICTURES IAN THOMPSON

This boat marks a milestone for Aintree

Boats. Not only that, the 52ft semi-trad

showcases all of its skill at a

remarkable price

W

e first tested a boat from

the Aintree Boats team

back in 2011, after they’d

been to the Crick Boat

Show for the first time. The firm had been

going nearly a year, but had managed to

produce 25 boats. Now, less than eight

years later, they’ve reached another

milestone, because this boat, Fantasia II,

is their 200th.

Comparing the two boats gives a

flavour of how Aintree has developed over

the years. In 2011, the firm was producing

a range of off-the-peg boats with three

levels of specification. The one we tested

was typical: a 58ft cruiser with an oak

interior, at a little over £75,000.

Today, while standard boats are still

available, Aintree has also turned itself

into a proper bespoke boat builder.

Fantasia II is a good example of what

they’re doing these days, because it’s a

non-standard length at 52ft, and has a

non-standard interior. That’s because the

owners, Sandra and Will Axon, wanted a

boat that was easy to handle and easy to

moor and their daughters wanted a bright

modern interior.

In short, the boat had to work when the

The 200 Club