Boat test for the 2006 Uniesse 58 including boat specifications, photo galleries, boat videos, boat layout diagrams, boat test numbers, boat test results, and boat speed graphs. Also includes pricing, engine test reviews, ratings, standard features, and gear for the 2006 Uniesse 58.

Uniesse is a brand on the move. Though widely known in Europe, this Italian builder hasn’t achieved the same level of recognition on our shores. But that may be about to change. Adopting a fundamentally different marketing strategy, Uniesse has eliminated its network of broker/dealer representatives in favor of factory-direct sales. This is designed not only to make pricing more competitive by eliminating the dealer mark-up and overhead, but also to provide better communication with customers, ensuring that each yacht is tailored to each owner.

Yet the key issue remains the boats themselves, and on that score the newest Uniesse, the 58, also portends good things. Uniesse’s U.S. sales director Rafael Barca describes it as an evolution of the 55-foot motoryacht, with a roomier deckhouse and a galley-up layout that should generate wide appeal in the American market. Above all, though, the 58 reflects Uniesse’s eye for detail. And nowhere is that clearer than in the galley. My wife is usually in charge of the culinary duties in our family, and I know she would approve of the 58’s galley. It’s an open, airy layout with plenty of natural light, and it’s right in the center of the action, just abaft the port-side helm station and only a step or two from the dinette and saloon seating areas to starboard. The glass counter on the center island makes the compact galley seem much larger while offering a stylish, European flair. Black-granite countertops and stainless steel accents further enhance the contemporary design theme, contrasting nicely with the flawless joinery.

While I liked the proximity of the galley and the lower helm (hungry or thirsty? Just pass me a snack, thanks), I wasn’t that keen on the helm station itself. Steering from the port side takes a bit of getting used to, but that wasn’t the problem; and while the space between the seat and the dash is a bit confined for my 6’2” frame, Barca assured me Uniesse can locate the dashboard farther forward if a customer wishes. And separately adjustable, bench-style helm and companion seats were comfortable and attractive, so what’s the problem? Visibility aft is quite limited; partitions abaft the helm station on the port side and window placement along the starboard side effectively block the view of both stern quarters, allowing sightlines aft only through sliding centerline glass panels. However, sightlines forward were excellent, with wide windows and narrow mullions and a modest running trim that produces little bow rise.

Sometimes it's the little things that make all the difference, a concept that Uniesse knows quite a bit about.

Actually, I found lots of things on the plus side of the ledger during my time aboard the Uniesse 58. One of the coolest was a multipurpose seating area along the port side in the master stateroom. Offering a view through elliptical side ports, fore- and aft-facing seats and a small table could serve as an intimate dinette or card table, a dressing table, or an en suite office space. It struck me as a delightful, decadent hideaway and a feature more likely to be found on an 80-footer.

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