FLIPPER 900 DC
Even by Nordic standards, the Flipper 900 DC is a supremely accomplished weekender, and it achieves this by taking the best elements of the classical Scandinavian day cruiser and repackaging them in a fresh and dynamic package that brings this venerable genre bang up to date.
For starters, you get a really secure, deepset cockpit with a long elevated wraparound screen for outstanding protection from the elements. You also get nigh-on perfect helm ergonomics with everything you need to operate this boat singlehanded with tremendous confidence.
Storage is very well taken care of and, given the lovely Windy-esque lines of that raked foredeck, the sleeping facilities are pretty good too.
They include a proper double berth forward and a more compact bed beneath the cockpit sole, plus a separate heads compartment to port. But in spite of the sheer userfriendliness of the interior, it’s the looks and performance that are likely to live longest in the memory.
If you’re a really keen driver, you can spec this boat with twin 300hp outboards for 50-knot performance. But even with the base 225s, you’ll find yourself flying past 30 knots in eight seconds and topping out at around 45 knots. It handles a treat and cruising efficiency also looks very manageable: a fuel flow of 50l/h (or 2l/nm) delivering a very useful range of around 180 nautical miles.
The styling of the 900 DC backs up that performance with some really edgy little design flourishes - like integrated fibreglass screen struts, tinted glass projections on the side windows and faceted cutaways for the nav lights. They might seem like small things but taken in their entirety, they give this boat precisely the aesthetic appeal its calibre warrants.