Having announced its intention
to build a new generation of high-
performance boats at the London
Boat Show in January, we had
hoped that Sunseeker might now
be ready to reveal a few more
details of the boats themselves.
Unfortunately, despite our best
efforts, the yard is remaining
frustratingly tight lipped. We
do know that it will be workingclosely with F1 spin-off Red Bull
Technology to design and develop
the new craft and that after years
of leaked renderings and false
dawns, the project has finally
been given the green light by
Sunseeker’s board of directors.
However, what the new range
will be called, what size the first
boat will be and what it will look
like are still closely guarded secrets.Rumours circulating at the
London Boat Show, prompted by
an impressionistic line drawing
of a familiar hull shape, suggested
that its first offering might be
a heavily reworked version of the
XS hull powered by triple 400hp
Verado outboards for a top speed
of over 80 knots. However, if this
does go ahead, it is only likely to
be a precursor to an all-new modelrange of larger offshore
sportscruisers, closer in spirit,
if not in style, to the much-
loved Superhawks of the 1990s.
Until we know the facts, it would
be wrong to speculate further on
what to expect from the yard with
the most distinguished pedigree
of them all. However, as soon as
Sunseeker does reveal any details,
we’ll be sure to let you know.Since purchasing the main assets of
Hunton Powerboats in January 2017,
the newly formed Hunton Yachts
Ltd has been keeping a relatively
low public profile while it seeks to
rebuild the business as a smaller,
leaner, more luxury-focused boat
brand. At the time of going to press,
CEO Fiona Pool
assured MBY she
was on the verge
of signing a deal
to secure the
funding needed
to put the hotly
anticipated
Hunton 55 into
production. All
the structural
engineering
is said to be
complete and
ready for tooling
of the moulds to begin at
mouldCAM in Poole. Custom yacht
manufacturers Fibre Mechanics
of Lymington will be contracted
to build the boats themselves.
Based on an original Jeff Hunton
hull shape and styled in house with
the assistance of the London-based
Quarterre design studio, it marries
a long, lean, deep-vee hull with
a luxurious new cockpit and interior.
Open and hardtop versions are
planned to broaden its global appeal.AT A GLANCE
Length 55ft 0in (16.7m)
Beam 14ft 5in (4.4m)
Engines 2 x 1,000hp MAN diesel
Top speed 55-60 knots est
Price from £1.5m ex VATSunseeker & Red Bull RacingHunton 55
jet tender tucked into an unusual
side-loading tender garage.
The price for the new 55 will be
somewhere in the region of £1.5-
£1.7 million ex VAT depending on
specification, with the first boat
due in the water next spring.
Contact http://www.hunton.co.ukPower comes from a pair of 1,000hp
MAN engines on Arneson surface
drives giving a top speed of an
estimated 55-60 knots. Two doubleensuite cabins separated by a lower
saloon and galley provide a level of
comfort and space that its smaller
rivals can only dream of, enabling
Hunton to compete with the likes of
Pershing and Riva while still delivering
superior performance. It even comes
with its own matching 2.8m designerBRIT PACKInterior styling
is modern and
luxuriousNow that’s
what a Hunton
should look
like – long,
lean and
beautifulDoes this line drawing hold
any clues as to what the
new boat will look like?A range of high-
quality fi nishes
are availableThe fi rst Hunton
with a full-beam
owner’s cabin