Motor Boat & Yachting — November 2017

It’s all about interior volume right

now – living space, cabins, sheltered

helm stations and an abundance

of headroom. It’s what the market

expects and the marketing boys

demand – if your boat isn’t the

biggest 30-footer on the market

you’re in trouble. But in amongst

the space race, there must be room

in the market for a traditional simple

old-school motor boat for those that

aren’t after the last inch of cedar-lined

and illuminated closet space, surely?

I think there is. Dutch builder

DaVinci thinks so too, and this new

30-footer is its rage against the

marketing machine. Stepping out

of the space race allows focus to fall

on the looks instead, which is why this

boat is drop-dead gorgeous. From the

low-profile cabin roof with stainless-

bezelled oval portholes to the sweep

of wooden transom, it’s a boat that

makes you stop and stare. It’s

practical too – side decks are low and

wide, chunky pulpit and cabin toprails

are confidence inspiring and steps on

either side lead down into the deep

well of the cockpit. Simply laid out

with a horseshoe of seating aft and

twin and single helm seats forward,

there might be no clever flip-over

backrests, but do you need them on

this boat? However, don’t make the

mistake of thinking that simple means

basic, because the detailing is as

exquisite as the looks. Highly polished

wood rolls luxuriantly over an almost

button-free dash panel (most of the

switches are integrated into the

touchscreen), upholstery is thick,

well shaped and two tone and

there’s a fridge built under the front

passenger seat. A perfect example

of the attention to detail is the bow

thruster control. Rather than simply

screwing the manufacturer’s plastic

control into the dash, DaVinci has

fitted a stainless-steel panel with

flush round buttons. It’s also powerful

• if you could direct the thrust aft,
  it feels like it could get you home!

Exactly the same applies to the

inside – the layout is ’70s basic with

a loop of seating around a table and

a large heads opposite the galley, but

the lustre of the thick wood panelling

and quality of the fit and finish remind

you that this is not a basic boat. The

table drops to create a double berth,

and there is an intriguing alternative

layout that puts a fixed double berth

high up, a C-shaped cutout creating

an aft-facing seat flanked by further

DaVinci 30

Classic styling

has curves in all

the right places

STARS OF SOUTHAMPTON

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