Chris-Craft Launch 35 GT
THE BUILDER’S LATEST DAYBOAT HAS A TOP SPEED OF 48 KNOTS AND PLENTY OF STYLE TO SPARE
Chris-Craft’s dayboat family has grown by one with the introduction of the Launch 35 GT, which is the second-largest dayboat, after the Launch 38, in the seven-model family. The smallest is a 23.
I got aboard the Launch 35 GT off Sarasota, Florida. She had a pair of 425- hp Yamaha XF425 4- stroke outboards painted to match the boat’s topsides. Near the mahogany- andleather steering wheel were Yamaha’s Helm Master joystick system and digital engine controls, and a pair of multifunction engine gauges. A Garmin GPSmap xsv multifunction display and a Yamaha CL7
7- inch touchscreen were mounted in a blacked-out dash panel that looked like the display on Tesla’s Model S electric car.
Throttle response was just below the neck-snapping threshold; the big Yamahas spooled up quickly and kept on going until we hit a top speed of 48 knots. I peeled back the power to a comfortable, efficient cruising speed: 26 knots netted a 22.2 gph fuel burn. Mercury inboard and outboard power plants are options, as are Volvo Penta gas and diesel inboards.
As I’d expect from a big dayboat, the Launch 35 GT’s deck spaces are laid out with comfort and relaxation in mind. Far aft is a swim platform that increases in size with inboard power. The platform is abaft a sunpad that has an adjustable seat back. Forward of the sunpad is an L-shaped lounge, and a teak table that stows under the
seat cushions. An electric grill, pullout refrigerator and sink with freshwater mixer are to starboard, just forward of a hull-side door for stepping onto and off the dock.
Twin captain’s chairs are abaft the dual consoles and the curved windshield, which is trimmed in polished metal. The port console houses a head compartment with a sink and freshwater mixer, and the starboard console has a cabin with a berth.
An aluminum hardtop with an electric SureShade provides shelter for the L-shaped lounge and captain’s chairs. The U-shaped bow lounge, accessed through an opening windshield section, is one of the most comfortable social areas I’ve enjoyed on a boat recently. That’s in part due to the handcrafted upholstery with custom stitching.
Those kinds of details are what Chris-Craft had in mind when designing the vessel inside and out, says the company’s marketing director, Allison Scharnow. “The Launch 35 GT sports a five-part paint process that requires meticulous preparation and skillful application. The result is a finish that appears deep and luxurious, from the aluminum hardtop down to the centerline.”
Details like the mahogany and teak brightwork further enhance the overall look and feel of the Launch 35 GT and make this model a viable option for a person in the market for a wellcrafted dayboat with wicked-good performance. — Gary Reich
LOA : 34’9” Beam: 10’10” Draft (engines up): 1’11” Displ.: 13,400 lbs. Fuel: 185 gals. Power: (2) 425-hp Yamaha XF425 4-strokes Price: $530,000