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Horizon extends a proven hull and delivers a knockout one-off.
by Bill Ando
photography by Jim Raycroft
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06/01/2007
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| Horizon 86 |  |
An 86-foot (26.4-meter) Horizon enclosed-bridge motor yacht is a rare
sight. That’s because only one has been built, which is not surprising since
it’s not even in the builder’s model line. In fact, if it weren’t for Lionel and
Connie Yow’s granddaughter, the one and only 86 out there may never have been
built.
It wasn’t that they had their hearts set on an 86-foot yacht.
The couple, who were buying their first large yacht, liked Horizon’s 82-footer.
They wanted a boat they could enjoy with their family. "Our 15-year-old
granddaughter wanted her own shower," Connie said.
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Rather than direct them to the next largest boat in its fleet,
a 92-footer, Horizon congenially lengthened its 82-footer in order to fit a bath
for the fourth cabin. The 82 features two guest cabins with a shared bath and a
VIP, in addition to the full-beam master suite. The three feet Horizon added to
the 82’s hull opened up the vessel enough to fit the additional ensuite. The
extra footage also extended the swim platform. With the added length and the
enclosed bridge, the 86’s profile is even better proportioned than the 82 that
inspired it.
Top: Xanadu’s expansive country kitchen. Bottom: The
ambiance created by the vibrant colors and art evokes North Carolina coastal
life. (Click images to enlarge)
Buying the 86 was a big, but necessary, step for the couple,
who live on the Intracoastal Waterway in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.
"We’ve been watching the cruisers go by for a long time," Connie said.
Lionel isn’t trading in his 26-foot Regulator, though. "We’ll
be towing that," he said.
They own an 84-slip dry-storage marina in Surf City and, at the
same time that they signed the contract on the Horizon, they decided to buy the
well-known Dockside in Wrightsville Beach, a popular food and overnight stop for
day and distance cruisers. The 86 will likely frequent the facility when the
couple is not cruising.
 Their decision to buy the Horizon was thoughtfully weighed.
Lionel said they looked at a couple of cruising yachts of similar length and for
their prices didn’t care for them. Another builder wouldn’t indulge
modifications of any sort. Horizon was accommodating and encouraging—always
desirable traits in a builder. (Click image to enlarge)
There were a few other items the Yows had on their list. The
forepeak VIP berth was upgraded to a king. "That’s my son’s cabin, and he’s
six-foot-two, 250 pounds. He’s a big boy," Lionel said. There isn’t any room for
compromising on comfort. Even the single berths were built a bit longer than
normal. Connie’s experience of being trapped in a house fire led to her
insistence on having a second way out of the master suite. Horizon disguised an
escape hatch in the overhead that exits onto the galley floor. It worked so well
that it is now standard equipment on Horizon yachts 73 feet and larger.
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