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These are exciting times for boaters. Every month a fresh press release lands on my desk announcing the launch of some new electric boat. And not just small river craft with motors that would struggle to outpace a pair of oars but seriously quick, stylish sportsboats using powerful electric engines and all manner of clever foils, drives and construction materials enabling them to compete with fossil-fuelled rivals. From the funky flying Candela 7 to the quirky X-shore Eelex 8000 via the British-built RS Pulse 63 and Pixii 750, there is a growing army of credible electric sportsboat contenders.
However, the latest concept to cross my path, the Furyan F35, strikes me as particularly intriguing because it combines electric power with a small petrol engine to ensure the user never gets left high and dry
(or in this case wet and scared) when the battery runs out. I know this means that it’s not 100% green but if it helps people get over the fear of being stranded at sea and encourages them to make the leap to battery power, then it’s a valuable step on the path to a greener future. It may be closer to a Mclaren P1 in terms of price and performance than a Toyota Prius, but you need something fast, sexy and exciting to grab people’s attention and prove that you can have your cake and eat it – something Elon Musk knew only too well when he launched Tesla. And that worked out ok.
DON’T MISS OUT!
You can read all about the clever thinking behind the Furyan F35 on p96, but if you’re not quite ready (or able to afford) that leap just yet there’s still plenty to be excited about in the world of conventional outboard-powered sportsboats as the trio on this month’s cover demonstrates. All three are exceptional craft that raise the bar in their size and price categories. I can’t remember a time when the choice of high quality, European-built sportsboats has ever been as broad or enticing as this. The only difficulty now is deciding which one to buy and then trying to track one down. Demand is so strong that you’ll be lucky to get your hands on any of them before next