This should deliver a top speed approaching 35 knots and a range of around 180nm at 25 knots. The battery bank can be charged directly from shore power or the onboard generators as well as being constantly topped up by solar panels on the wheelhouse roof.
Sunreef tells us the first batch of 10 Ultima 55s has already been sold, and that hull number one is currently under construction at a new facility located in the United Arab Emirates. The same site will build all future Sunreefs of 70ft and below.
The first Sunreef Ultima 55 is scheduled to be launched next spring and will have its world premiere during the 2024 Cannes Yachting Festival. Prices have yet to be released into the public domain but we are told to expect a well specified version of the 55 to cost in the region of €2.4 million, excluding taxes.
“For a co*pany that made its name selling big, beamy sail and motor cats with multiple cabins, this is quite a radical move,” co*ments MBY editor Hugo Andreae. “Then again, it’s not hard to see why a motor cat makes the perfect platform for a fast day boat thanks to its inherent deck space, natural stability and low drag hulls. They’ve even managed to make it look half decent!”