MY FANTASY FLEET
Name: Simon Lovell Current boat: Regal 2465 Commodore Berthed: Torquay
Istarted my boating history on friends’ parents’ boats. They all had big stuff with a few of the sons my age having speed boats. My first purchase was a second-hand Sea-doo GTX DI and my first boat, a fast sporty-looking Regal 2150 sportscuddy, still stirs up many happy memories (I needed the cuddy as we used it as a weekender, pre kids). After completely over-using it for three years we sold it in order to buy something larger and more practical – a Regal 2465.
RIVA 76 PERSEO £1.8M
This has to be the best looking flybridge on the market bar none. The interior is plush and practical with the perfect layout for my family – a twin to split the kids up, a VIP guest cabin for friends and a full beam master suite for the two of us. Twin MAN V12 1,800hp diesel engines give an impressive top speed of 37 knots so it goes as well as it looks. I would keep this in the Med, starting in southern Italy and moving north along the Amalfi coast. It would be great to fly in and out as we slowly make our way north towards the south of France.
CIGARETTE 50 MARAUDER AMG £800K
Because sometimes you just need to do 100mph on water. Surely there can be no better classic boat in which to scare the life out of you and your friends? And it has a carbon-fibre hull!
Mercury Racing staggered 1350 QC4V engines with dry sump M8 drives and surface-piercing props should make it sound and perform as good as it looks. And it does look epic. It’s a collaboration between Mercedes AMG and the legendary muscle boat manufacturer Cigarette. This would need to be berthed somewhere flash like Puerto Banus – I feel like it would only be right blasting to Gibraltar in a matter of minutes. A fast trip back might raise a few eyebrows in coastguard helicopters, however!
PRINCESS S66 £2M
British perfection and the largest boat I could realistically handle myself and use in the UK. It really does deliver everything we’d need – a four cabin layout, crew cabin, decent garage, flybridge, foredeck cockpit, helm door – there’s nothing this boat doesn’t have. We’d keep it in our familiar stomping ground of the River Dart; there can be no better way to cruise the South Coast with family and friends. The S66 really is the perfect blend of flybridge practicality and sportscruiser looks. Drifting into Salcombe on tickover with the sun setting, I think you’d struggle to be happier as you look forward to another weekend of fun pulling the toys out of the garage.
Send in your suggestions for your ideal fantasy fleet costing up to £5 million to mby@ti-media.com