BOAT SHOW SPECIAL
GET READY FT. LAUDERDALE— HERE COMES THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH. BY THE EDITORS If you took the total length of boats at the 2012 show stacked end to end (more than 8 miles), lined up with the floating docks that were brought in (8.5 miles of docks), an
The Monte Carlo 86 Debuts in Ft. Lauderdale
I{ t’s that special time of year when everyone leaves a bowl of candy (or apples if you like eggs on your house) out for the trick-or-treaters two days early and heads to sunny Florida for the Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show. And quite frankly we couldn’t be more excited. The progress of new boats being designed and launched and the capability of cutting-edge electronics being released has been staggering since the boating industry nosed its way out of The Great Recession and into a market that looks poised to produce some of the most interesting boats we’ve WITH ITS 86, MONTE CARLO YACHTS BROKE THE MOLD FOR WHAT CRUISING ONBOARD AN MCY CAN BE.
MCY 76 THE MONTE CARLO YACHTS 86 REPRESENTS A DEPARTURE FOR THE BUILDER. To fully realize that fact, all you have to do is look at its models lined up next to each other. The 86’s predecessors—the 65, 70, and 76—are all proportional to one another. If docked in a row, they bring to mind a giant Russian nesting doll with an obvious maritime bent. But the 86? She’d swallow them all whole.
With an 86-foot LOA and a 21-foot-2-inch beam, the 86 is larger by dimension than her closest little sister, the 76, a boat that measures 75 feet 7 inches long and 18 feet 5 inches wide. What’s more, thanks in part to her eye-catching fashion plates that offer extra support for her bridge deck the 86’s flying bridge is absolutely monstrous, and compares well to what you might find on a 100-footer. Really.
Because of her increased volume, the MCY 86 is the first boat in the line that is designed primarily as a crew-operated boat. The 76 was made for a skilled owner-operator. But the 86, with her larger crew’s quarters and concealed passageways, is very much made for an owner who demands the utmost in both leisure and privacy while onboard.
Another difference between the 86 and the 76 is propulsion systems. Whereas the 76 is a pod boat, MCY opted for twin 1,800-horsepower MAN V-drives for the 86, since she’s so large. The 86 also has hydraulic thrusters, as opposed to the electric ones on the 76, an evolution that lends her an air of durability—one her captain will surely appreciate. If you’re looking at the MCY 86, here are other boats at the show you might want to check out: HARGRAVE 76 WIDEBODY, VIKING 75 MY, OUTER REEF 860 MY
new
} seen hit the water in a very long time. Innovation is the name of the game, with builders looking to new construction materials, redesigned hulls, and retooled building facilities. And the way we see it, what folks are saying is is actually new for real, and in most cases pretty darn exciting. Here we bring you some of the newest launches that will line the docks this year. Whether you’re looking for a sleek express cruiser, a hot new runabout, a boat to cross the world’s oceans, or what very well may be the largest sportfisherman you’ll ever see, we’ve got you covered.
Daily Dose
FORT LAUDERDALE TODAY, or the Show Daily, as it’s called by the writers and editors who produce it, is published twice during the five-day show. The first issue comes out the opening Thursday and the second one is at the gates first thing Saturday morning. The 56-page color tabloid carries all the news, highlights, and new boat launches and product introductions that take place at the largest in-water boat show in the world. A team comprising a half-dozen writers and photographers race from event to launch party to capture the latest news and then assemble the magazine in a makeshift situation room in a hotel overlooking the show.
“It’s fun and challenging and, at times, it’s a little bit of controlled chaos,” says Bill Sisson, editor-inchief of Soundings and Sound
ings Trade Only, who manages the tabloid. “Especially as the deadline looms and you’re trying to squeeze in those last couple of stories. The Ft. Lauderdale show is a great, festive week for boat lovers of all stripes and we do our best to capture it as it unfolds.”