Boats of Distinction
Burger 48 Cruiser, Delta 60 Open
Anytime a builder brings a model to market, there’s an air of caution among customers. Like walking across hot coals at a Tony Robbins conference, no one really wants to be first. But with hull number one sold and hull number two in build, Wisconsinbased Burger Boat Company’s 48 Cruiser appears to be intriguing even the traditionalists.
In conceiving the 48 Cruiser, the 155-year-old yachtbuilder teamed with Dutch design firm Vripack, which patented the Slide Hull concept that is gaining traction in cruising yacht design. The result was a handsome, fast-displacement cruiser with all the grace and style of a traditional Burger yacht, but with the silky-smooth quickness and agility of a wet seal.
The owner of hull number one—a longtime Burger admirer with her heart originally set on a 38-footer— also played a role in crafting the design.
“In the design process, in which the owner was closely involved, we determined a 48-footer would best fulfill her needs,” says Ron Cleveringa, Burger’s vice president of sales and marketing. “We wanted to create something out of the ordinary, something the American cruiser market had never seen. We approached Vripack because of their reputation for thinking outside the box and because they had a small-boat division. They introduced us to the Slide Hull, which was a perfect fit for this size range and had already proven successful in realworld testing on commercial vessels in the North Sea.”
According to Vripack, the Slide Hull directs water flow in a way that resembles going down a slide (hence the name). Compared to a typical planing hull, Vripack says, the shape gives the 48 Cruiser advantages: improved ride quality, reduced pounding and no bow rise as she gets up on plane.
“It’s like the boat is riding on cushions,” says Vripack naval architect Peter Bouma. “The reduced pitching motion helps prevent seasickness and improves fuel consumption, outperforming any other vessel that I’ve seen.”
Powered by twin 600-horsepower Volvo Penta D8-IPS800 engines, the Burger 48 cruises at 30 knots, where, according to Cleveringa, hull resistance was recorded to be 14 percent less than a traditional planing hull during tank testing at Wolfson Unit in the United Kingdom. Top speed is reportedly around 35 knots.
Accommodations are two ensuite staterooms. The forward stateroom is convertible, with two twins or a queen. The salon layout has a helm station, dinette and galley. Curved stainless steel double glass doors, side opening windows and a retracting glass hardtop bring the outdoors in.
The first hull, being prepped for delivery as of April, is headed for the Great Lakes. Hull number two, available for delivery this summer, sports a contemporary interior by Miami-based designer Luis DeBasto, who recently completed the 103-foot, 6-inch (31.5-meter) Burger Northland.
Cleveringa says Burger sees a bright future for the new cruiser.
“We’ve fielded numerous inquiries on hull number two, and we’re already getting requests for larger versions toward the 60- and 70-foot range,” he says. “Being able to offer a smaller option creates an opportunity to bring new clients into the Burger family, combining their vision with our heritage. It should especially appeal to the yachtsman looking for something beyond a production boat—something distinctive that conveys their own personal touch.”