Yachting September 2025

The sound of gravel crunching like dry cereal beneath my car’s tires as I entered the marina parking lot should have signaled the end of my trip. In a way, it was only the start. ¶ It was a sound that reminded me of childhood, sitting in the passenger seat of my dad’s 1972 Ford LTD Brougham, regularly driving down to a marina in this same town to check on the family boat. Tinkering ensued on these visits, and what began as a quick check-in with Born Free often turned into a two-hour, stem-tostern inspection. I didn’t mind. I’ve always been completely content on a boat. ¶ On this day, however, I was alone, helping out my dad, who had been under the weather. I stepped into the cockpit to…

George laycock was sitting on the upper deck of his Nordhavn 68, reading out in the fresh air. It was a few years ago off Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, and a guy rode by on, well, something Laycock had never seen. “I got up immediately and watched him go off in the distance,” Laycock says. “About 30 minutes later, he came back. He was riding straight, and he had a six-pack of beer under his arm. I thought, Damn, that’s pretty cool.” ¶ He immediately emailed his friend Roger Moore, the CEO of Nautical Ventures in Florida, and described what he’d seen. “A week later, I had this big package at the marina office,” Laycock says. “I assembled it, and after about an hour of riding and falling—I did that…

The delta shipyard may not talk as much as other yards do about the yachts it builds, but for a lot of years, its craftsmen have been turning out some serious vessels. There was the 240-foot Laurel back in 2006. The 216-foot Invictus in 2013. The 236-foot Albatross in 2016. Suffice it to say the capability is there to produce major custom designs—a capability that Delta is now applying to a much smaller hull form. ¶ “We’ve experienced increasing demand for a fully custom option in the 110-to 124-foot size range,” says Vice President Michelle Jones. “As most of the yachts in this size are production builds, we were thrilled to work with experienced owners on their unique vision for a Pacific Northwest-focused family yacht, which they could operate with…

THE MAKAI YACHTS M37 IS A CATAMARAN FROM CROATIA with twin diesels, a main deck focused on entertainment, and accommodations for extended voyaging. Its two-tone hull color, raked windshield and sloping sheerline visually lower this cat’s profile, giving it a sporty aesthetic. This power cat is new to the US market and is part of a twomodel lineup from the Split, Croatia-based yachtbuilder. The other model is a 42-footer dubbed the M42. The M37’s design was created by Emanuele Rossi, a naval architect and yacht designer from Ventimiglia, Italy. According to the boatbuilder, the M37’s overall design inspiration comes from classic sports cars. ¶ The M37’s optional twin 370 hp Yanmar diesels allow the power cat to reach reported speeds of 35 knots. Twin 320 hp Yanmars are standard. Makai…

Burger BoatCompany, inannouncingthis180-footer, said something that doesn’t typically find its way into press releases about new yachts. The company rightly stated that the scales of the superyacht business have tipped away from the United States—a matter-of-fact observation that’s undeniable given how few major yacht yards are left here. ¶ “For years, the global yachting industry has been dominated by European influences in both design and construction,” the Burger team stated, “but this new superyacht signals a change, reestablishing American design as a powerful force in the world of luxury yachts.” ¶ The Wisconsin shipyard is coming out strong in partnership with Florida-based Patrick Knowles Designs, which produced an interior rooted in sophisticated comfort and approachable luxury. The idea, they say, is to be upscale with the kind of comfort that…

55'7" LENGTH OVERALL 15'6" MAXIMUM BEAM The sensation was at once thrilling yet whisperquiet. Capt. Ryan Higgins put the throttles down as theValhalla Boatworks 55 SportYacht’s quad 600 hp V-12 Verados spooled up in rapid fashion. On a flat-calm sea off Atlantic City, NewJersey, and with zero trim engaged, the supersize center-console rose up level as if on a lift. The vessel’s attitude remained flat, and it ran true as the boat took off toward the horizon. Sightlines were clean for nearly 360 degrees. If trim had been needed for conditions or load, this 55 SY had a Zipwake trim-control system. ¶ According to the helm’s three flush-mounted Garmin multifunction displays, the boat’s sprint topped off at 60.6 mph (52.7 knots) on the pins. This eye-watering speed is even more…