THE SUNSEEKER 95 YACHT MAKES THE MOST OF AN EXCEPTIONALLY ENGINEERED HULL.
JUST FOUR AND A HALF TURNS of the wheel wind this 85-tonne leviathan from full lock to full lock but impressive though that is, the reaction to that equal and opposite action is even more spectacular. The Sunseeker 95 Yacht puts its shoulder down and cranks hard into the turn like a sportsboat – whipping through a 180-degree course change in a little over two boat lengths. It’s remarkable to witness – a joyous improbability on a par with watching an octogenarian break-dance.
But should you care? You’re unlikely to ever to touch the helm of your nearly 100-foot yacht (that’s the Captain’s job), much less twirl it from lock to lock like a slaloming superbike. I’d argue that yes, you should care. Because while in reality this level of agility might be of only academic interest, the fact remains that it points to an exceptionally well-engineered hull.
What’s under this yacht isn’t just there to stop your carpets from getting wet – it’s there to perform. It demonstrates class, heritage, and breeding. It shows that in the quest to create some of the finest production yacht interiors in the world, Sunseeker hasn’t taken its eye off the ball. The go still underpins the show.
In fact this hull isn’t new. Sunseeker quite rightly touts the 95 Yacht as its latest model, but we’ve seen its underwater profile before, it underpins the 28 Metre Yacht. The fact that the 28MY remains in production however, tells you all you need to know; this is a very different machine – a fact that is evident the moment you clap eyes on it.
The big news is that the 95 Yacht sports a raised pilothouse – a separate enclosed wheelhouse mounted proudly on a half deck ahead of the flybridge, dramatically altering the side elevation. A ‘big boat’ yacht feature in its own right, the effect of moving the lower helm up and out of the way cannot be overstated because it clears the main deck completely of the burden of this driving area, and that allows great things.
Entering the main saloon there is an immediate sense of space – this feels like a bigger area than that of the 28MY, chiefly because that’s exactly what it is. Creating the bridge deck has allowed the galley (that previously ran along the forward port side of this section, squeezing the dining area out and back to starboard) to effectively rotate through 90 degrees so that it is shorter, but wider.
As a result, the dining table now lives at the forward end of the saloon, feeling far more removed from the lounging space; increased sense of space augmenting the very real extra physical space.
Good though this re-imagining of living room is, you need to head on forward for the really big story. Because losing that lower helm has freed up main deck real estate for something very special – a main deck master cabin. Indeed, even calling it a cabin is selling it short.
“The market for yachts like this has seen a sea-change over the last decade or so,” explains John Braithwaite, Technical Director and one of the two founding brothers of Sunseeker International. “Previously our big yachts sold to people moving up through the ranks from smaller boats. They wanted more space, bigger cabins and better facilities of course, but their expectations were set by their boating experience. Today we sell yachts of this calibre and bigger to clients who have never boated before. Their benchmark for leisure time accommodation is set by luxury hotels and high-end city penthouses. These people do not want cabins – they want bedrooms.”
The master suite delivers on this ethos in spades, physically via height and floor space, and emotionally via huge picture windows, glazed bulwarks ensuring that the dramatic seascape remains uninterrupted. The decor is discrete pale platinum offset by dark Wenge wood while Porto Romana lamps add visual interest.
In a neat trick first seen in Sunseeker’s 30M Yacht, the yard has eked out yet more floorspace by utilising a mezzanine floor forward – a sweep of stairway takes you down via a midlevel dressing area of wardrobes before looping back to a spectacular bathroom beneath the floor of the bedroom – a very cunning double use of space.
If the master suite is magnificent, the guests won’t feel short changed. Two arrangements are available for the lower deck. Choose between a four cabin set up, all en-suite of course, or swap the two forward cabins for one massive full-beam VIP suite easily the equal of many master suites on this size of yacht. And that second option throws up an intriguing alternative of its own.
For the Asian market, Sunseeker offers a floor plan in which this is the master suite – that palatial main deck master suite is configured instead as a separate dining room. This in turn frees up the forward end of the saloon for a dedicated games area, creating the ultimate sub-30m party boat.
Out on deck, the main alfresco area is up top on the flybridge, accessed either via the conventionally laid out aft cockpit or through the dark trimmed business-like ambience of the pilothouse with its raised viewing sofa for those that like to enjoy the quiet organised calm of an efficiently run ship at sea.
Up top, partly sheltered by a large GRP suntop, you’ll find the bar opposite a huge dining area and space for an optional hot tub back aft, ahead of a crane capable of lifting a jetski aloft to augment whatever you keep on the bathing platform. There is no garage, the very back of the boat is laid out as generous crew quarters with two twin cabins and a useful crew mess area.
Further forward on the flybridge is the upper helm – there to remind you of the hybrid nature of this yacht, poised as it is between full on crew run superyachts and large flybridge cruisers. With the largest engines on offer (twin MTU 12V 2000 M96L giving a combined 3,900PS) the planing hull runs out to a thrilling 26 knots at wide open throttle – offering sufficient excitement that you might be tempted to take the wheel for yourself.
If you do, try giving it a twirl from lock to lock – it’s only four and a half turns but that’s enough for you to fully appreciate that deeply ingrained Sunseeker performance heritage for yourself.
