It was a busy January for British builder Sunseeker. Early in the New Year, the yard unveiled its latest big boat model – the 101 Sport Yacht – and rounded out the month with the technical launch of its new flagship, the 47m Sunseeker 155.
The 101 Sport Yacht – the first example of which is due to launch in the spring of 2014 – features sleek styling and some signature cues that Sunseeker has added across the range. ‘In many ways,’ says James Hall, superyacht sales manager at Sunseeker, ‘she is the natural successor to the legendary Sunseeker 108 Predator.’
At an overall length of 29.8m she will offer a range of engine options, the largest of which will propel her to a top speed of 31 knots and a cruising speed of 24 knots. Her lithe lines may give her the impression of achieving those speeds standing still, but she also offers good deck and accommodation space for her owner and guests, with a large sports flybridge up top and the option of a spa pool on the foredeck.
The standard layout will offer four lower-deck en suite guest cabins plus accommodation for up to four crew. The guest cabins – which include a midships full-beam master and a generous forward VIP – will also benefit from large hull windows giving plenty of natural light below, while the main saloon and dining area will lead out directly onto the main deck aft.
Not only can the 101 be built in line with MCA charter regulations, it can also be specified with a fully custom interior thanks to Sunseeker’s in-house Bespoke Interiors division. Originally set up in 2011 in response to a request from an owner who wanted something a little different, the division has so far customised six of the yard’s big boat builds, working with both in-house and external designers.
‘A lot of people are not aware of what we are doing,’ says Hall. ‘You can come to Sunseeker and we have a proven exterior style and engineering platform, and now you can add your own taste in interior.’ Previous bespoke projects include a 40 Metre Yacht that went to China, which had a second master cabin in place of the standard two aft guest cabins, a reinvented upper saloon that became a cinema-cum-office-cum-karaoke room, a captain’s cabin relocated to the lower deck and a full realignment of cabin doors to meet feng shui demands.