TRANSATLANTIC
TRANSLATION
Test driving the Invictus TT460 tender
The Invictus TT460 has an Italian style and sensibility that suits party lovers and sun-worshippers alike, wherever the location. Kevin Koenig takes a ride.
T here is a certain kind of flash that plays well both in Italy and in Miami. The cultures loosely mimic each other in many ways, with emphasis on late nights, sun-filled days and a thirst for life that often feels unslakeable.
So when I think of dayboating in Miami– all the rage, particularly of late, as the Magic City floods with new money eager to hit the sandbars of Biscayne Bay and the brunch hotspots along the Miami River – I tend to think of Italian T-Tops. Those same designs meant for island-hopping in the Med translate nicely here.
So it was fitting that, although the Invictus TT460 made a soft debut in Italy during the peak of the pandemic, the 2022 Miami International Boat Show would be where it was truly introduced to the world.
There is real grace here, and a balance between soft and hard
Built in Roccelletta di Borgia, in southern Italy, the TT460 is undoubtedly a pretty boat. Her masculine and modern axe bow is complemented by a sheer line that is totally flat. The profile is so geometric and minimalistic that it could be mistaken for being Nordic, were it not for the appealing S-curve of the superstructure and carbon-fibre T-Top that winds its way aft on the boat.
“It is a proper flagship, but it does not break continuity with the rest of the range”
There is real grace here, and a balance between soft and hard that shows designer Christian Grande’s mastery of his craft. The Parma-based designer has drawn up a host of other Invicti, culminating in this TT460, his latest, and, at 14.3 metres, the builder’s largest.
“The TT460 represents the sum of all the style features that have made Invictus recognisable over the years, applied to a new [size],” says Grande. “It is a proper flagship, but it does not break continuity with the rest of the range. We imagined it as an organic evolution in terms of shape, equipment, personality and spaces.”
The TT460 is indeed surprisingly roomy, with wide side decks buttressed by pleasantly beefy, thigh-high gunwales that make for safe transit from the cockpit to the bow lounge, and aid in docking. That bow lounge has the requisite sunpad for two, framed by handrails to port and starboard. I put these to good use as the TT460 shoots up and over the wakes of passing boats in the bay, landing softly in the flats on her stepped hull.
ALBERTO COCCHI
ALBERTO COCCHI
ALBERTO COCCHI
ALBERTO COCCHI
The TT460 is perfect for island-hopping or lunch in Biscayne Bay. A wide lower deck can accommodate a comfortable master cabin. There is a high level of fit and finish found nearly everywhere.
When I do take the wheel, I am pleased with the TT460’s responsiveness as well as the grippy ride. The stepped hull digs into the water’s surface, particularly evident during S-turns. I take her hard over at cruise at about three boat lengths, which is a bit looser than I expected for a vessel of this size and type. But it meshes with the intended leisurely use of this model, which isn’t a sport boat. That’s not to say it isn’t fun to drive. With the twin 480-horsepower Volvo Penta IPS650 engines, I cruise at 21 knots and hit a top speed of 30 knots. Invictus claims a top end close to 35 knots.
“We think of this boat as a super-tender... The T T460 offers the best comfort for a day of relaxation and fun”
The steering wheel is encased in cream leather that is buttery to the touch and matches the helm seating. Stitching throughout is tight and intricate – a microcosm of the high level of fit and finish found nearly everywhere.
As a dayboat – or perhaps a tender, or more likely a chase boat – the TT460’s cockpit area is key to its raison d’etre. Twin teak tables fold out to become one large table for eight guests. A small grill and fridge, paired with a sink that has an interesting telescopic tap, could handle cooking duties in a pinch, but this boat will probably be bobbing at the dock while you tuck into your branzino on dry land.
The cockpit is enhanced by two sturdy fold-out terraces that make the 460 an excellent entertainment platform at anchor. There’s a second sunpad in the aft portion of the cockpit and a teak hydraulic swim platform aft.
The TT460 is, of course, large for a boat of this type. “We think of this boat as a super-tender,” says Grande. “That is to say, crafts that can be intended both as chase boats for superyachts of 60 metres and more, or as party boats. The T T460 offers the best comfort for a day of relaxation and fun. Of course, overnights are palatable because of a wide and comfortable lower deck that can be configured to host a dinette and a master cabin, or even two spacious cabins. So I would say that the TT460 is a great boat for a wide range of owners.”
This dayboat-plus, as it might be labelled, is big enough both to host a soirée and to weather choppy seas, while offering joy at the wheel that only an open boat can give. Beyond that, it has style in spades, with lines that at once exclaim both la dolce vita and bienvenido a Miami.
First published in the March 2023 issue of BOAT International. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.