WINDY SR28 CC
LOA 27ft 7in (8.43m) BEAM 8ft 2in (2.49m) ENGINES Single 300-425hp Yamaha outboard TOP SPEED 46 knots PRICE from £154,418 inc VAT CONTACT Berthon +44 (0)1590 679222; www.windyboats.com
The hull of this latest addition to the Windy SR range may have started life as a Draco 27, the Norwegian yard’s sister brand, but thanks to an all-new deck moulding it looks and feels like a very different boat. Out goes the offset helm position and bowrider layout and in comes a centre console with walkaround decks, a cuddy cabin, extended swim platforms and an optional T-top.
The end result isn’t just a more practical boat, it’s also a sportier, more stylish-looking craft with an attractive swept-back windscreen and high-quality detailing to match the Windy’s premium brand and pricing. Even the simple things such as the storage lockers feature expensive-looking flush-fitting handles, locking struts to hold them open and lift-out stainless steel baskets with black mesh lining to stop your ropes and fenders disappearing into the bilges. It’s the same story with the heavy gauge stainless watersports arch and handholds, which have had all the weld marks polished out so that they feel as smooth and sturdy as a superyacht tender’s.
The cuddy cabin itself is pretty tight, with sitting room headroom only and a bed that narrows quite dramatically towards the bow, but it’s a major bonus to have somewhere dry to shelter or stow your kit as well as a separate heads compartment with a proper flushing toilet and a small basin. There’s quite a lot of bare gelcoat on show but there’s just enough wood, colour, light and texture to give it a pleasingly minimalist Scandinavian vibe.
The cockpit has a reversible transom bench and a pair of helm seats that turn to face the drop-in table but the walkaround decks restrict the number of seats. On the plus side there’s a second socialising area forward with a table that converts to a sunbed.
The boat we looked at was fitted with one of Mercury’s 300hp Verado V8s, but in future they will have Yamaha outboards up to and including the whopping 425hp SXO for a top speed of around 46 knots. As an upmarket alternative to an Axopar, it makes a compelling case.