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The Sunseeker 37: a semi-custom sensation from England.
by Justin Ratcliffe
photography by (courtesy of) Sunseeker International Ltd.
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10/01/2007
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| Sunseeker 37 |  |
In the wintry
half-light at the London Boat Show last January, Sunseeker’s new 37-meter
tri-deck yacht dwarfed the other exhibition boats moored alongside on the River
Thames. The austere, angular lines of her superstructure blended with the glass
and steel architecture of the new Docklands and contrasted with the industrial
brickwork of old London across the river. She is the largest semi-custom
production yacht to be built in the United Kingdom and the most ambitious
project in Sunseeker’s 40-year history. By joining the big-boat brigade, the
company is going head-to-head with the likes of market leaders Benetti and the
Ferretti Group’s Custom Line. The question is, does the 121-footer make the
grade?
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Answering this question is a challenge Sunseeker Managing
Director
Robert Braithwaite has no doubts about and clearly revels in.
"The Italians have had a free run and have done very well, but
now we want a part of that market," Braithwaite says. "No other manufacturer in
this country is capable of building yachts of this size and type. We feel the
37’s bluewater credentials can compete comfortably with superyacht builders in
Germany, Holland, Italy and elsewhere."
 Photograph by Justin Ratcliffe. (Click image to enlarge)
Hull No. 1, christened The Snapper and owned by Formula
One racing entrepreneur Eddie Jordan, may only be 15 feet longer than the discontinued Sunseeker 105, but it has around four times the volume. This fact,
coupled with the consequent beefing up of the engineering specs and systems for
RINA Commercial 100 A1.1 Y classification and MCA LY2 certification, puts The
Snapper firmly in the superyacht realm. Once the decision to up the ante and
build a true tri-deck yacht was made, the challenge facing naval architect
and exterior stylist Ewen Foster was to create a look that was still
recognizable as a Sunseeker.
"Although it’s a distinctive design, the triangular bulwark
supports and windows are features that recall our smaller flybridge models,"
says Foster. "These are coupled with new and bold architectural statements such
as the radar mast supports."
The 37’s open-air salon-cum-dining room,
which Sunseeker claims is more spacious than those of some rival Italian
yachtbuilders. (Click images to enlarge)
Anxious to avoid the stubby foredeck and wedding cake
superstructure typical of yachts with a full-beam master suite on the forward
main deck, Foster came up with a very beamy hull and elongated bow. Although
unusual, the shape and styling grows on you, and it seems others feel the same
way. At press time, a further seven orders had been placed. These will be built
at the new Sunseeker factory in Poole, England, where the company hopes to
produce two units per year with a build time of 10 months each. There are also
plans for 34- and 30-meter versions.
The new yacht is built entirely of GRP, and what you see is
straight out of the mold—something Sunseeker is quite proud of because most GRP
hulls of this size have to be filled, faired and painted. The hull had to be
efficient at very low speeds for maximum range, but also able to support
different layouts such as a Predator version capable of speeds of up to 50 knots
(a 128-foot Predator is in the concept phase). The single-skin hull, foam-cored
above the chines, was thoroughly tank tested and CFD (Computational Fluid
Dynamics) studies were used to hone the shape of the superstructure.
Despite her radical exterior styling, the 37 has a conventional
interior layout with an open-plan salon-cum-dining room and forward owner’s
suite on the main deck and four guest cabins on the lower deck. Satin-finish
American walnut paneling and vanilla and cappuccino-colored fabrics combined
with chrome detailing give her interior a cool, calm and contemporary ambiance.
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