Yachting USA — February 2018

in the semicustom sport-fi sherman market. The New Jersey

builder seems to know what its angling-focused customers

desire even before the customers do. In fact, Viking says that it

accounts for about 70 percent of the 110 or so large sport-fi sh-

ermen built and sold each year. The builder is less known for

its Motor Yacht line, which, until now, had two models: a 75

and an 82. That line’s new fl agship, the 93 Motor Yacht, is the

largest that Viking has off ered since 2010, when its partnership

with Princess Yachts in the U.K. produced the Viking Sport

Cruisers 84. ¶ Though the 93 Motor Yacht is based on the 75’s

design, the Westport 112 also helped it come to fruition. One

Viking owner also has a Westport, and Viking ’s designers and

top brass spent a good amount of time on board that yacht

learning how to nail down the needs of owners in that size

range. What Viking developed from that experience is a boat

built for socializing, one that lets hands-on owners feel at home

while enjoying mega-yacht features. ¶ The 93 can host a party

of 50 without feeling crowded, yet it can also be driven by an

owner, along with a crew as small as two people (though four

or fi ve might be the more common choice). And the yacht is

designed to feel as open as possible, despite being enclosed.

Features such as a fl ip-down, hydraulic terrace to starboard

in the salon as well as low-slung seating that doesn’t obstruct

views help create that sense of openness. A 4-by-8-foot teak

table in the cockpit has a removable leaf in the middle that

makes moving around the space easier, and the cockpit also has

a bar with three stools, a sink, an Isotherm refrigerator and an

ice-maker. A 40-inch TV (one of 11 on board) fl ips down from

the overhead, transforming the space into an optimal place

to watch the big game. ¶ The salon has a markedly masculine

feel, perhaps not surprising from a company with roots in sport

fi shing. Rich satin walnut with high-gloss walnut accents exudes

a stately elegance and inviting warmth. Forward, a high-gloss

walnut formal dining table for eight has a partition separat-

ing it from the country-kitchen-style galley, a sociable space

EXPERIENCE VIKING 93 MOTOR YACHT

IN RECENT YEARS,

VIKING YACHTS

HAS ENJOYED NOTHING

SHORT OF A COUP

86YACHTINGFE BRUA RY2 01 8