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New York, New York,
it’s a helluva town. The isle of Manhattan is the city that never
sleeps, to quote an old lyric, with an abundance of ‘round-the-clock
activities for residents and visitors alike. It’s fast-paced, cultured,
cosmopolitan. And the list goes on.
But for all of its sophisticated
appeal, the city has a decidedly simple side as well. For example, it’s
laid out in a logical grid pattern, with the avenues running north to
south and the streets running east to west. When your feet wear out, you
have your choice of getting around by bus, cab, or subway. And where else
but in New York can you so easily wrap up a fun-filled evening (or morning,
depending on your stamina) with a cheeseburger and fries at an all-night
diner?
The new flagship of
the Sunseeker fleet has a lot in common with the city. The Manhattan 84
abounds with finesse and polish, appealing to boaters who want a pointed
change from the production-boat realm. Yet the 84, the largest semicustom
yacht ever to emerge from the UK, offers a range of rudimentary features
to keep those same boaters from turning their backs in a New York minute.
Just as you can’t
imagine Manhattan without its fast pace, you can’t imagine a Sunseeker
without performance. If you’re the type who likes to zoom over to
Bimini for lunch and spend the rest of the day poking around the islands,
you’ll certainly be able to do it aboard the 84–she has a 450-mile
range on nearly 1,800 gallons of fuel. Engine options range from twin
1,283-hp MAN V12 1300PS diesels to the new 1,400-hp Caterpillar 1419PS
diesels. With either package, they combine with V-drives and propellers
to yield a top speed in the low-30-knot range and a cruise speed in mid-20-knot
range.
Of course, a good turn
of speed is directly related to weight savings, and Sunseeker employs
a few methods to accomplish this on the Manhattan 84: a stiffened single-skin
bottom with balsa-cored topside, PVC foam-cored deck, and carbon-fiber-reinforced
superstructure. Isophthalic resin, woven rovings, and unidirectional fiberglass
are used, in addition to a bonded-foam girder system, isophthalic gelcoat,
and antifouling and osmosis treatment.
One of the first places
Sunseeker combines style and substance is the saloon. It’s split-level,
a solution to the dilemma of creating separate relaxation and dining areas
without resorting to confining bulkheads. Most Americans will likely be
surprised by this design scheme, having gotten used to seeing one space
cater to both needs, but Sunseeker’s arrangement has met with success
on previous smaller models, including its Manhattan and Predator 74s.
You’ll find highly polished American cherry and bird’s-eye maple
in both spots, and given that the 84 is semicustom, you have a wide choice
of color-coordinated carpets, upholstery, and other soft goods.
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Manhattan 84 continued > Page 1, 2,
3, 4, 5
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