Like most things in life, bigger isn’t always better but it sure is fun to make things bigger. For performance boats, I personally love small boats, under 32 feet is great and single engine boats under 25’ are my favorite. Lately, many performance boat companies are going big. Outboard cats, offshore V hulls, sport center consoles all keep getting bigger. I want to look at some of the newer models out there larger than 36 feet’ and see if bigger is better when it comes to design. To me good design means there is a combination of performance, style and safety. A good design has to function in the real world and as we see with some new boats, that is often an elusive goal.

This is a bit of a departure from our normal content but I think it’s fun to look at what is out there and how builders are designing new boats of all sizes. Let’s see the designs and what works and what doesn’t.

Donzi

Let’s look at Donzi first. This is important because Donzi has two new larger models released last year that are a massive departure from their past. One is a large outboard sport V hull, the other is a massive outboard catamaran. Donzi is in a revitalization mode after a tumultuous past. Iconic Marine Group makes them and operates both Fountain and Baja boats in North Carolina. Until recently, the only boats Donzi was making were the original Classics; the 16, 18 and 22. Those Classics look cool but have ancient hull designs and are somewhat limited. The new boats are moving far away from the past in both size and design.

Donzi 41 GT

First, the 41 GT is a luxury outboard sport boat. First seen in 2018 the large Donzi hull was a new 2019 model. To me, this makes perfect sense for the Donzi brand. With a length overall of 40’6” and a beam of 9’8” the luxury boat is a nice size. The stepped hull, with triple 400R Mercury Racing outboards only goes 81 MPH by third party reports. Now I know that’s not that impressive, but the boat is more of a cruiser, and for most that is pretty fast. With the interior layout and design, you probably don’t want to go any faster. In fact, I would say go for the twin engine option, which is standard and not too much slower, especially with the new Mercury Racing 450R engines.

The interior of the GT is a bit of pontoon boat and a bit of poolside furniture. Not too comfy in rough water.

The philosophy of the boat is right, the execution is pretty bad. Here’s a few things that standout. The seating layout looks poorly thought out. Two buckets up front are followed by forward facing lounge seats, and rear facing lounges behind that. Underway, you wouldn’t really want to be on the rear lounges, so basically it seats four comfortably. Actually, two comfortably, the lounge passengers will have their legs stretched out and nothing to support themselves against or hold onto, so good luck in rough water. I’d rather lay on the floor of a subway train in Manhattan during rush hour. The front buckets are mounted on a small pedestal, which is not adequate for a serious sport boat run in rough water. There is a bar and storage area behind each bucket as well, which I also think is bad design and a waste of space.

If your plan is to not go anywhere in the Donzi 41 GT and just dock it, get drunk and pass out in a lounge seat, then this boat is great for that. But, for the asking price, I’d just by a Jon boat for $600, throw an old lazy boy chair in it with the cupholders and get a similar experience. The competition is fierce in the luxury boat market, I don’t think the Donzi 41 GT can compete.

The 41 GT is a nice looking boat. I think the interior could be fixed and they’d have a winner.

Donzi Icon 44

This could either be a really long write up, or a really short onet. I’ll try to keep it short. The fit and finish of the boat Donzi showed in Miami was so bad it was embarrassing. There was more gap filler and caulking used in the cockpit seams then a bathtub in a Super 8 Motel. Hopefully the production version is better.

From the materials to the design, the big Donzi misses all the marks to me. Those seats look like they are from a Star Trek themed porn set. It’s easier to get in the driver seat of a Miata that was rolled on the freeway and left upside down in a ditch.

The deck and cockpit design is an attempt at being bold and forward thinking, but it belies one simple question when it comes to design; does it work? More specifically, is it practical for the intended purpose. The radical windshield design is because the front two cockpit seats are in a narrow helm far forward, inset behind the windshield, creating a cockpit like design. One issue is the windshield frame is narrow, encapsulating the two front seats, bringing the windshield frame very close to the pilot and co-pilot’s heads. Getting in and out is also really difficult given the size of the boat.

I love the pillows, those should stay at 90 MPH right? This is how not to do the interior of a performance boat.

The rear seating layout is not totally horrific, but the cheap looking automotive style seats seem out of place. And the rear has lounge seating, which again comes down to use. If the boat is intended for ripping up some decent waves at high speed, you definitely wouldn’t want to be back there. All the carbon fiber in the world can’t hide the fact that this is a glamorized pontoon boat. Carbon fiber parts on a Honda, doesn’t make it a McClaren. The big Donzi has another problem, a crowded market of high quality boats in this size range.

Don’t mind the gap. This is high school science fare level craftsmanship. Sorry, but it’s just not good.

Right now, Iconic Marine Group makes Baja, Fountain and Donzi. All of those brands went under not that long ago. Fountain has 2 lines of familiar looking center console boats, and a performance line with the 32’ Thunder Cat and the 42’ and 47’ Lightning. These are old designs, the 32’ Cat is not the same caliber as other cats on the market. Donzi makes the Classics which are ancient and the hull design is in desperate need of an update. The new Donzi models are very limited, the GT has some promise. Baja makes the same Outlaw models. This is going to be tough for Iconic to keep offering some of the same products that buried the companies in the past. There is so much competition out there and these brands have as much baggage as they have clout. I’d be surprised if they can make it work in the long run but I wish them well.

Wright Performance 420

The Wright Performance 420 is a unique boat in that it suits customers who want the size of a large cat, with the benefits of a smaller sport cat. This boat is designed well in every way. The seating layout is all business, with a very nice purpose built cockpit. The large wrap around windshield protects everyone from the elements, while everyone is securely seated facing forward. No gimmicky lounges here. At first glance, the striking boat looks like it might be underpowered but it isn’t. The large Wright Performance boat can handle big water, cruise at high speeds and still pull very respectable numbers. The one I saw was before the launch of the new 450R as well, which are ideal for this boat. Mercury Racing’s marketing material featured the Wright Performance 420 for good reason.

For a 42’ foot cat to achieve the kind of performance it does, and to do it with turnkey twin outboards makes this a very compelling option if you want a larger cat yet still want outboards. It’s really the best of both worlds. The Donzi 44 catamaran mentioned above had quad engines, and performs about the same as the Wright Performance 420. Good design goes a long way, proving more power isn’t always the answer.

Adrenaline 45’ Speede

We talked at length about the Adrenaline 45’ Speede in a recent article. To me, the large outboard sport boat is a big step in the right direction for this class of boat. Featuring a great seating layout, amenities under the deck, incredibly sleek lines and utilizing outboards are what make this standout. I would love to see how it does with triple 450Rs, I just think quads are a bit clunky, and have too much drag but even then, this boat does most things right.

One factor is the market, when so many sport center consoles are on the market, I do believe many boaters prefer sit down seating and the luxury of a full windshield that the Adrenaline 45’ Speede offers compared to a CC. I personally just don’t find many CC’s that comfortable to ride in. If you’re not fishing, a sport boat like the Adrenaline Speede is a much better option, it’s faster and more family friendly at the same time.

Cigarette Racing 59 Tirranna

Normally this is not a boat we would even talk about, but it is definitely new and big, so let’s take a quick peak. Cigarette definitely sees their customers shifting to more of a luxury / performance boat, and the massive 59 Tirranna is a direct response to that. I can’t blame Cigarette Racing at all. They have a large repeat customer base, and you have to cater to the market in some ways. With a 59’ length and a full 14’ beam, this luxury center console weighs in at a massive 31,000 Lbs. Just to put that in perspective, the 38’ Top Gun weighs about 9,900 Lbs. and my mother in-law weighs a little bit less than that. You can see why it has 6 outboards on the back now and can still barely crack 80 MPH. Load it up with swimsuit models and champagne, and this thing is a party barge.

It’s big. The massive luxury center console is a massive departure for Cigarette Racing. More of a business decision as Cigarette attempts to move more into the luxury brand space. Time will tell.

My favorite CC Cigarette Makes is the 39’ GTS, it has the best proportions of all of them, with a 10’ beam and reasonable 12,000 weight, it can run well with triples. The Tirranna on the other hand is for those looking for the yacht experience on a platform that holds dozens of people, yet can cruise at a decent clip. Priced in the $3 million range, the massive center console luxury boat has everything you could ever want on a boat this size, as you can imagine.

This particular boat is now powered by six Mercury Racing 450R outboards. Performance isn’t spectacular but the boat weighs over 30,000 Lbs.

Like I said, I can see why Cigarette made it, even though it doesn’t fit the Cigarette pedigree at all, and is not a performance boat in any way. Cigarette is shifting into a luxury brand. I would love to see them make luxury sport boats with outboards, like a sport deck version of the GTS, or even an outboard Top Gun with a windshield, and I bet they will consider it. Luxury boats have windshields, rich people have very sensitive hair that they have to protect. Cigarette has Erik Christiansen as the new president at the helm now, formerly of Mercury Racing, he is a very bright and capable guy, so I’m sure they have some great plans in the works.

I get a little sad when Cigarette Racing shows up to the Miami Boat Show with only one sport boat, and a bunch of center consoles. I don’t mind the 39’ GTS but the Top Gun is way more bad ass.

2020

Of course, there are some recent new boats announced that would’ve made this list but will be 2020 models. DCB has a true tunnel M37R at 37’6 overall and a generous 126” beam. Being a true tunnel is a great move my DCB, it will open up their customer potential to those running in bigger water and it’ll will probably be a little quicker than a center pod tunnel design that they usually make. I love their build quality, attention to detail, and the fact that they do some of the most amazing gelcoat work in the industry. I don’t doubt this big cat will be amazing.

Donzi also brought back another older model, the venerable ZRC. The 38’ hull was and is still an absolutely beautiful boat. A sit down true sport boat, the twin canopies and staggered engine setup are all about performance. I really liked the ZRC when it was first introduced and the hull still looks amazing. Can’t wait to see a new one.

MTI is also upsizing their sport cat lineup, with a new 39’ model called the 390X. The svelte cat will weigh just 6,000 Lbs (dry weight) rigged. As always with MTI, the large cat will be a real performer, and look very sharp, with the signature look of the wrapped windshield set in the raised side that slopes all the way to the back. The MTI 340X set the standard in sport cats and I can see the 390X following up nicely.