MY FANTASY FLEET
Name: Kevin Batley Current boat: Sunseeker Predator 57 Berthed: Puerto Portals
Ialways enjoy reading this column, having been a keen boat owner since 2002. My first boat was a 24ft Rinker and since then I’ve worked my way up to a Sunseeker Predator 57. We have been lucky enough to go boating in the UK and Mallorca, both of which we enjoy.
I now spend a lot of time looking at boats, choosing which I’d like to buy after my retirement, given an unlimited budget.
RIVA RIVAMARE APPROX £1M
This has to be one of the greatest looking boats on the planet and it exudes class. At 38ft it is small enough to take into the myriad of calas around Mallorca but big enough to handle offshore running. Twin Volvo Penta D6 400 engines give it a 40-knot top speed and very relaxed cruising at 30 knots so it has plenty of range for Balearic cruising. Although it is basically a single cabin speedboat, with the dinette converted it is certainly comfortable enough to sleep on.
SUNSEEKER PREDATOR 60 EVO APPROX £1.7M
I believe this is the perfect boat for the UK, which might make many readers question my sanity. However, having experienced two seasons in the UK with our Predator 57,
I reckon the Predator 60 (which is basically an upgraded version of the 57) is ideally suited to the variable climate here in Blighty. It has a great hull to handle the rough stuff, and the versatility of the accommodation enables it to switch from open to closed with the push of a button. Ideally I would keep it in Lymington, which offers a great gateway for cruising to the West Country and the Channel Islands.
SUNSEEKER HAWK 38 APPROX £700,000
This boat I would also base in Mallorca. It is the ultimate dayboat, perfect for when you want to travel as fast as possible, thanks to the Fabio Buzzi hull and twin Mercury Racing 400 engines that give it a top speed of over 60 knots. It’s pretty impractical, you can’t stay on it, but it’s a great picnic boat and the separate loo is a useful touch, as is dedicated Sea Bob storage under the forward sunpad. It might be a touch extravagant, given the Riva above, but it fulfils a very different purpose. The Riva is for weekends away around the islands, the Hawk 38 would just be a complete blast when the mood takes you and the conditions are right.
Send in your suggestions for your £5 million three boat dream fleet to mby@ti-media.com